An Exaltation of Larks was my first thought too on seeing this theme. I really regret selling my nice hardback copy when I was broke and selling everything in sight. We too used to play the game of making up our own - the only one that comes back to me now (and remember this was end of the '60s) was 'a trip of hippies', but it was a great parlour game (now there's an anachronism) for word-lovers and punsters.
Wanna know about the word game that we call 'John', and why?