Simon Says (Simple Simon Says)

Entry in progress—B.P.
 
Wikipedia: Simon Says
Simon Says (or Simple Simon Says) is a children’s game for three or more players. One player takes the role of “Simon” and issues instructions (usually physical actions such as “jump in the air” or “stick out your tongue”) to the other players, which should be followed only when prefaced with the phrase “Simon says”. Players are eliminated from the game by either following instructions that are not immediately preceded by the phrase, or by failing to follow an instruction which does include the phrase “Simon says”. It is the ability to distinguish between genuine and fake commands, rather than physical ability, that usually matters in the game; in most cases, the action just needs to be attempted. In many regions of the United States Simon says is also known as “Simon Sez”.
 
The object for the player acting as Simon is to get all the other players out as quickly as possible; the winner of the game is usually the last player who has successfully followed all of the given commands. Occasionally, however, two or more of the last players may all be eliminated at the same time, thus resulting in Simon winning the game.
 
(Oxford English Dictionary)
Simon Says, n.
originally U.S.
A children’s game in which players must obey a leader’s instructions if (but only if) they are prefaced with the phrase ‘Simon says’.
In early use sometimes in the fuller forms Simon says wig-wag (also wiggle-waggle) (cf. wiggle-waggle n. (a) at wiggle-waggle v. Derivatives), Simon says thumbs up, the closing words of the phrase being some of the range of instructions which the leader could issue (which was formerly restricted to movements of the thumbs).
Quots. 1848, 1849 are allusive references to the game, and probably imply earlier currency of the name of the game.
[1848   Indiana Tel. (Connersville) 22 June   Simon says wig wag—well—wig wag all Locofocodom.
1849   Indiana Amer. (Brookville) 7 Dec.  ‘Now, how many kinds of motion are there?’..‘Simon says there’s four… Point, point up, point down, and wigwag.’]
1850   Daily Ohio Statesman 13 Feb.  They are good at the game of ‘Simon says wig wag’. Tell them ‘thumbs up’, and it is ‘thumbs up’.
1855   ‘G. Forrest’ Every Boy’s Bk. 13   Simon Says. This, if well managed, is a very comical game.