'Daughter of Benson residents invents game and is on TV'

By Leslie Parnell

The daughter and granddaughter of two Benson residents have created Merriam-Webster’s Befudiom, a new family game featured on a television show that could “knock your socks off” – to use one of the idioms that are at the heart of the game.

            Wendy Hampton, formerly of Benson, and her daughter, Taylor Hampton, 15, created the game they originally called Shop Talk she said.

            Ms. Hampton’s parents, Matthew and Louse Hampton, still reside in Benson and were very excited about the game, Ms. Hampton said.

            They were not the only ones excited after Ms. Hampton went to a casting call for Public Broadcasting Service’s “Everyday Edisons” show with her word game and was selected for the program.

            Ms. Hampton is a credit manager for IR Hussmann Corp. in Atlanta, Ga., and Miss Hampton is a sophomore at Peachtree Ridge High School, Ms. Hampton said.

            Their entry into the world of invention and documentary television all started about five years ago on a Saturday morning when Miss Hampton, then 10 years old told her mother that she was “totally bored,” Ms. Hampton said.

            Her daughter began researching family activities on the Internet and an idea Miss Hampton found interesting was making a board game with family members, Ms. Hampton said.

            So, they sat down on the floor and began creating the game…