Summary2 min read

Podcast Summary: Ripley's Believe It Or Not - How Bridge Got Its Name

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio

Host: Harolds Old Time Radio

Episode Air Date: September 27, 2025

Episode Focus: How the Card Game Bridge Got Its Name

Episode Overview

This short episode of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" dives into the fascinating origins of the card game bridge, exploring the unusual way in which the game earned its iconic name. The segment typifies the show’s trademark blend of trivia and storytelling, bringing to life curious facts from history in under a minute.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fact From History: The Walls of Mekness

Details: The story opens with a brief but macabre piece of trivia about the construction of the city of Mekness in Morocco.
Key Point: The city's walls were built by 50,000 European slaves over 20 years; legend claims their dead bodies were buried in the walls for strength.
Quote:

"The woeful walls of Mekness in Morocco were built from you, lay Ismail. It took 50,000 European slaves 20 years to build the city. And their dead bodies were buried in the walls to make them strong. Believe it or not."
— Ripley Narrator (01:00)

2. Origin of the Card Game ‘Bridge’

Origin:
Bridge originated in Istanbul, Turkey, among a Russian colony, where it was initially called "Russian Whist."
Journey to England:
The game was introduced to England around 1884.
Naming Story:
Two English families who regularly visited each other for games had to cross a tricky old bridge. The act of making the journey became so central that the game took on the name "bridge," evolving from "bridge whist" to simply "bridge."
Memorable Explanation:

"Their way led across a rickety, unsafe old bridge. On parting, the visiting family would sigh with relief and say, thank goodness, it’s your bridge tomorrow night. Gradually, the game became known as bridge whist, and finally, bridge. Believe it or not."
— Ripley Narrator (01:30 – 01:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the gruesome strength of Mekness’ walls:

"Their dead bodies were buried in the walls to make them strong. Believe it or not."
(01:06)
On naming the game bridge:

"Thank goodness it's your bridge tomorrow night."
(01:40)

Important Segment Timestamps

[01:00] Start of the historical trivia segment (Mekness walls)
[01:20] Transition to the origin story of bridge
[01:30 – 01:50] Explanation of how bridge got its name

Tone & Style

The episode is crisp, intriguing, and slightly dramatic, maintaining Ripley’s classic storytelling style that delivers bite-sized curiosities with a sense of wonder and mild theatrical flair.

Conclusion

In just under a minute of content, this classic "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" segment provides a memorable anecdote about the origin of the card game bridge, cleverly mixing somber history with quirky etymology. It's a perfect example of the show's enduring charm, leaving listeners with a "Believe it or not!" moment to ponder.

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Transcript2 lines

[00:00]
A
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[01:01]
B
Truth is stranger than fiction, and this is the proof. This is Ripley. Believe it or not, the woeful walls of Mekness in Morocco were built from you, lay ismail. It took 50,000 European slaves 20 years to build the city. And their dead bodies were buried in the walls to make them strong. Believe it or not. In a moment, I'll tell you how the card game bridge got its name. The card game bridge originated in Istanbul, Turkey, where the Russian colony first played it under the name of Russian Whist. It was brought to England about 1884. Two English families used to visit one another on alternate nights to play the game. Their way led across a rickety, unsafe old bridge. On parting, the visiting family would sigh with relief and say, thank goodness it's your bridge tomorrow night. Gradually, the game became known as bridge whist, and finally, bridge. Believe it or not.