Monopoly smites the humble thimble figure from its game

A moment of mourning for thimble-lovers
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
Monopoly smites the humble thimble figure from its game
Farewell to the humble, gentle, and nimble thimble. Credit: Andrew Drysdale/REX/Shutterstock

It has been a cruel 2017 thus far and now the humble thimble, the universal symbol of the blessed sewers who toil and sweat over clothes, blankets, and so much more, has unceremoniously been booted from the choice of Monopoly figurines.

In January, the game's maker, Hasbro, opened up fan voting on what it was calling Monopoly Token Madness for users to select new tokens for the game. But here's the twist: rather than simply replacing a token or two, as the game has done in the past, the current vote is to select all eight tokens for future versions of the game.

The makers of the game are already teasing us with the lineup, to be announced on March 19 -- which, come on, guys, we just had National Play Monopoly Day in November -- by informing us that the thimble has already been voted off the island.

The humble thimble, there to protect your fingers from ferocious needle pokes while sewing, was one of the original tokens included with the game in 1935. It now joins other retired (and outdated) tokens like the cannon, the wheelbarrow, and the iron in the great Monopoly gig in the sky.

Current versions of the game feature 16 tokens which seems to defeat the purpose of everything described in the previous paragraphs, but far be it for us to upset the Big Board Game lobby.

#LongLiveThimble.

Mashable Image
Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Sony sued over high PlayStation Store 'monopoly' prices and download fees
Sony and PlayStation Store logos

How to watch the 2026 winter sports figure skating online for free
Figure skating pair performing a death spiral

Amazon has slashed $22 off the Lego Star Wars C-3PO buildable droid figure — buy now for under $120
lego star wars c-3po buildable droid figure against a pink and purple patterned background

Get the Pokémon TCG: Mega Lucario ex Figure Collection for $9 off at Amazon
The Pokémon TCG: Mega Lucario ex Figure Collection on a green and pink background


More in Entertainment
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone


That wild 'Scarpetta' ending, explained
Bobby Cannavale as Pete Marino and Nicole Kidman as Dr. Kay Scarpetta.

Apple releases iOS 26.5 beta without any sign of AI Siri
a row of iphones showing liquid glass features and sticker that reads 'available now'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!