Talk:Ouija

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 17 January 2022 and 11 May 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): RabiaAkb, Lifting world, Idinptl82, Fiona B Howard, Sourdough4444, Beth.h.blair, Bodmind (article contribs). Peer reviewers: Coyotewalk, Supervalid, Andrew hulley, Sweetasy.

origin of name "Ouija"

The article states the origin thus - "The name is taken from a word spelled out on the board when its inventor asked a supposed ghost to name it." - then gives a reference. In the referred article, this is described, but the article goes on to say that the name may well have actually come from the name engraved on a locket worn by one of the participants. Why isn't this mentioned ? T-zz-rii (talk) 21:10, 30 July 2023 (UTC)

I'm bothered that they claim that the name being Yes in French and German is a "misconception." It literally is, despite the board supposedly naming itself and it meaning "Good Luck." That doesn't change that Oui is French for yes and Ja is German for yes. This can't be a coincidence. 2603:7080:BA40:1C00:142B:F9F0:2441:30CA (talk) 12:38, 29 March 2024 (UTC)

Move to Spirit board

I propose moving this article from Ouija to Spirit boardSpirit board. The term "Ouija" is far more common than "spirit board". However, as the article notes, Ouija is a trademarked name. Furthermore, a number of sources indicate that a Ouija board as a *kind* of spirit board:

• Gilhooly, John R. (2018). "What are tarot, Ouija, and divination?". 40 Questions About Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare. 40 Questions. Kregel Publications. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-8254-4468-5.
• Joyce, Judith (2011). "Spirit board". The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal: Abductions, Apparitions, ESP, Synchronicity, and More Unexplained Phenomena from Other Realms. The Weiser Field Guide. Red Wheel/Weiser. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-60925-298-4.
• Illes, Judika (2010). Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. Witchcraft & Spells. HarperCollins. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-06-204609-3.

Other sources seem to regard them as synonyms, but prefer the term "spirit board" due to intellectual property concerns:

• Lawrence, Amy (2022). "Confronting evil: A short trip to the dark side". Ghost Channels: Paranormal Reality Television and the Haunting of Twenty-First-Century America. Horror and Monstrosity Studies Series. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-3812-4.

If we understand a Ouija board as a particular design or brand of spirit board, then this article should be titled with the more generic name in order to be inclusive of other designs and brands. Daask (talk) 18:08, 16 October 2023 (UTC)

"Güija" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Güija has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2024 August 8 § Güija until a consensus is reached. mwwv ^converse∫_edits 02:09, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

"Ouija Board Criticism" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Ouija Board Criticism has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2025 February 14 § Ouija Board Criticism until a consensus is reached. Nat Gertler (talk) 16:17, 14 February 2025 (UTC)

The patenting of 'Ouija'

In the section “Commercial parlor game,” the following series of claims are made:

The local patent office at first refused a patent. Bond and Nosworthy then traveled to Washington, D.C. where they were also denied a patent until the chief patent officer asked the board to spell out his name, which it allegedly did. [Emphasis added by @TrustHuss.]

The source cited is the “Helen Peters Nosworthy” entry from the Talking Board Historical Society (TBHS) found at the Wayback Machine, which states:

According to family lore, verified by patent file history, the patent office declined to award a patent to the talking board unless the founders could adequately demonstrate its believed miraculous powers. Helen and Elijah then traveled to Washington D.C., where they were denied by multiple patent inspectors until the chief patent officer took an interest in the device. As the story goes, he assured the pair that if the device could spell out his name, unknown to Bond and Peters, he would award them a patent. The board apparently did exactly that, and the rest is history.

There are no sources provided at the cited TBHS page to corroborate the claims that (1) “family lore” was “verified by patent file history” and that (2) “[t]he board apparently did exactly that” (meaning that the board spelled out the name of the chief patent officer, which was a name allegedly unknown to Helen Peters Nosworthy and Elijah Bond, the recorded inventors of the Ouija Board). TrustHuss (talk) 19:32, 16 June 2026 (UTC)