Plural of forfeit; things lost or given up as penalties, or money/items lost in a game for breaking rules.
From Old French 'forfait,' plural of the noun 'forfeit.' The term evolved from medieval legal language into modern usage, maintaining its core meaning of penalties or losses.
In old parlor games, 'forfeits' were hilarious punishments—you'd lose a button or shoe and had to perform silly tasks to get it back. These games kept the medieval concept of penalty alive in domestic entertainment, centuries after courts used 'forfeits' for grim purposes.
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