In Calcutta, when some younger kid came along and insisted on joining the game my friends were playing, we would let the new kid in, but only after whispering into each other's ears the words, ell bell.
An ell bell is a player who thinks he is participating but, in truth, is merely going through the motions. Everybody knew that a goal scored by him was not a real goal.
As a child, mastering the cruel art of ell bell was important. When a new kid arrived, accompanied by a doting mother, we could convey to one another with a mere glance that the kid would be an ell bell.
The technique of ell bell also thrives in the adult world. All of us can recall collective decision-making situations -- a selection committee, a team for drafting rules -- where some members were ell bells.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2003/11/19/2003076447