History lesson, boys and girls; everyone take their seats. In 1539, people were bored and poor. One day, Filius Giles of North Southwesteasternshire thought of a great way to pass the time. He took a chunk of lead (called a "pohtaytoh" by blacksmiths of the time) and heated it up. Gathering some friends, he dipped the pohtaytoh in lard with his tongs and threw it to his closest friend. The lard began melting away as each person threw it to another, hoping not to get burned by the "hot pohtaytoh." Apparently, everyone had a blast, and the game has survived today.
ThinkGeek
