What Is a Cootie Catcher?

A fortune teller is a form of origami used in children's games. Parts of the fortune teller are labelled with colors or numbers that serve as options for a player to choose from, and on the inside are eight flaps, each concealing a message.

Why do they call it a cootie catcher?

Cootie Catcher

“Cootie” apparently comes from the Malay work “kutu” which means “dog tick”. ... Tiny dots would be drawn inside the cootie catcher to represent bugs, and the corners of the cootie catcher would act as pincers, trapping all the cooties inside!

What does a cootie catcher do?

A fortune teller (also called a cootie catcher, chatterbox, salt cellar, whirlybird, or paku-paku) is a form of origami used in children's games. ... The person operating the fortune teller manipulates the device based on the choices made by the player, and finally one of the hidden messages is revealed.