Olly olly oxen free

Last updated

"Olly olly oxen free" is a catchphrase or truce term used in children's games such as hide and seek, capture the flag, and kick the can to indicate that players who are hiding can come out into the open without losing the game or that the position of the sides in a game has changed [1] (as in which side is on the field or which side is at bat or "up" in baseball or kickball); alternatively, that the game is entirely over.

Contents

The origin of the phrase is unknown. The Dictionary of American Regional English says the phrase may be derived from all ye, all ye outs in free, all the outs in free, or possibly ”calling all the outs in free”; in other words, all who are out may come in without penalty. [2] Others speculate the phrase may be a corruption of a hypothetical and ungrammatical German phrase alle, alle, auch sind frei (all, all, also are free). [1]

A number of variations exist. "Ollyoxalls" is one such variant, said to be used in Portsmouth, England. [3] Another variant is "Ollie Ollie in come free." [4]

In literature and the arts

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hide-and-seek</span> Childrens game

Hide-and-seek is a popular children's game in which at least two players conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chosen player counting to a predetermined number with eyes closed while the other players hide. After reaching this number, the player who is "it" calls "Ready or not, here I come!" or "Coming, ready or not!" and then attempts to locate all concealed players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug TenNapel</span> American animator, video game designer (born 1966)

Douglas Richard TenNapel is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, video game designer, and comic book artist whose work has encompassed animated television, video games, and comic books. He is best known for creating Earthworm Jim, a character that spawned a video game series, animated series, and a toy line. He is also the creator of the animated television series Catscratch (2005–2007), which aired on Nickelodeon, and was itself a loose adaptation of TenNapel's comic book limited series Gear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idioteque</span> 2000 song by Radiohead

"Idioteque" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their fourth album, Kid A (2000). Radiohead developed it while experimenting with modular synthesisers. It contains samples of two 1970s computer music compositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheering</span> Sounds made usually to encourage

Cheering involves the uttering or making of sounds and may be used to encourage, excite to action, indicate approval or welcome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Palmer</span> American musician and performance artist (born 1976)

Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo the Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a member of the duo Evelyn Evelyn and the lead singer and songwriter of Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra. She has gained a cult fanbase throughout her career, and was one of the first musical artists to popularize the use of crowdfunding websites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chubby bunny</span> Recreational hazing game in which marshmallows are stuffed into the mouth

Chubby bunny is an informal recreational and hazing game that involves the placement of an increasing number of marshmallows or similar items such as cotton balls into one's own mouth and stating a phrase that is intended to be difficult to say clearly with a filled mouth. The game is often played where marshmallows are readily available, such as around a campfire. Variations include similar-sounding phrases such as pudgy bunny, fluffy bunny, fuzzy bunny, chubby monkey, and chubby buddy.

<i>Wabbit Twouble</i> 1941 Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Bob Clampett

Wabbit Twouble is a Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Bugs Bunny, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and released on December 20, 1941, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

<i>Transylvania 6-5000</i> (1963 film) 1963 animated short film by Chuck Jones

Transylvania 6-5000 (1963) is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on November 30, 1963, and stars Bugs Bunny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United we stand, divided we fall</span> American Mottos

"United we stand, divided we fall" is a phrase used in many different kinds of mottos, most often to inspire unity and collaboration. Its core concept lies in the collectivist notion that if individual members of a certain group with binding ideals – such as a union, coalition, confederation or alliance – work on their own instead of as a team, they are each doomed to fail and will all be defeated. The phrase is also often referred to with only the words "United we stand".

Ringolevio is a children's game which originated in the streets of New York City, where it is known to have been played at least as far back as the late 19th century. It is one of the many variations of tag. In Canada, the game is known as Relievio, a name which was also used in Boston and Ireland in the 1950s. It is also, in some places, known as coco-levio.

<i>Olly Olly Oxen Free</i> (film) 1978 film by Richard A. Colla

Olly Olly Oxen Free is a 1978 American family adventure film directed by Richard A. Colla and starring Katharine Hepburn. The screenplay by Eugene Poinc is based on a story by Poinc, Colla, and Maria L. de Ossio. The title is derived from "Olly olly oxen free" a phrase used in children's games to indicate that those in hiding came out into the open safely and freely.

<i>Ali Baba Bunny</i> 1957 animated short film by Chuck Jones

Ali Baba Bunny is a 1957 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on February 9, 1957, and stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

<i>Whats Cookin Doc?</i> 1944 animated short film directed by Bob Clampett

What's Cookin' Doc? is a 1943-produced, 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett, and stars Bugs Bunny. The short was also written by Michael Sasanoff, and was animated by Robert McKimson, along with uncredited work by Rod Scribner, Phil Monroe and Virgil Ross. The film was released on January 8, 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Proper</span> American rock band

Mason Proper is an American rock band formed in Alpena, Michigan, in 2004. The band consists of Jonathan Visger (singer), Matt Thompson, Zac Fineberg, Brian Konicek (guitarist) and Garrett Jones (drummer).

<i>Who Killed Amanda Palmer</i> 2008 studio album by Amanda Palmer

Who Killed Amanda Palmer is the first solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer. The album was largely recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, with collaborator Ben Folds and was released on Roadrunner Records on 16 September 2008. The name of the album is a reference to the series Twin Peaks, which revolves around events surrounding the death of Laura Palmer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truce term</span> Temporary respite during a game or activity

A truce term is a word or short phrase accepted within a community of children as an effective way of calling for a temporary respite or truce during a game or activity, such as tag or its variants. Common examples in English speaking cultures are barley, fainites, crosses, kings and exe(s) in the United Kingdom, pegs and nibs in New Zealand and variants of barley in Australia. In the United States, terms based on time-out have, from the 1950s onwards, largely supplanted earlier common terms based on kings and exe(s). Since the late 1980s time-out has been recorded in other English-speaking cultures besides the US. Examples of use of truce terms are if a child has a stitch or wants to raise a point on the rules of the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dresden Dolls</span> American musical duo (formed 2000)

The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione. The two describe their style as "Brechtian punk cabaret", a phrase invented by Palmer because she was "terrified" that the press would invent a name that "would involve the word gothic". The Dresden Dolls aesthetic exemplifies dark cabaret.

<i>Theatre Is Evil</i> 2012 studio album by Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra

Theatre Is Evil is the second studio album by Amanda Palmer, and first with her band The Grand Theft Orchestra. It was released on September 7, 2012 in Australia, on September 10, 2012 in the United Kingdom and Europe, and September 11, 2012 in the United States and Canada. The album has been released by Palmer's own record label, 8 Ft. Records, with distribution handled by Cooking Vinyl in the UK and Europe, and Alliance Entertainment in the US.

<i>Snoopy and the Red Baron</i> (video game) 1983 Atari 2600 video game

Snoopy and the Red Baron is an Atari 2600 shoot 'em up featuring Peanuts character Snoopy and his aviation rival, the Red Baron. It is the first video game based on Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz and was published by Atari, Inc. in 1983.

References

  1. 1 2 Tukey, Paul Boardway; Rowell, Victoria (2012). Tag, Toss & Run: 40 Classic Lawn Games. Storey Pub. pp. 13–. ISBN   9781603425605 . Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  2. ↑ Cassidy, Frederick Gome; and Joan Hall, "Ole Ole Olson All In Free", another way of saying it is oll-e oll-e ox-and-free Dictionary of American Regional English, (1985) Vol III (I-O), p. 874.
  3. ↑ Opie, Iona and Peter. Lore and Language of Schoolchildren. Oxford: Clarendon, 1959 p.143
  4. ↑ Tabler, Dave (June 8, 2010). "Ollie Ollie In Come Free!". appalachianhistory.net. Dave Tabler. Archived from the original on 2010-06-18. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  5. ↑ Macfarlane, Malcolm; Crossland, Ken (2012-05-10). Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record. McFarland. p. 26. ISBN   9781476600246 . Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "VGMdb – Imaginarium: Songs from the Neverhood" . Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Oliolioxinfree, by Sworn In". Genius. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  8. ↑ "Piano Is Evil, by Amanda Palmer". Amanda Palmer. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  9. ↑ Mann, William J. (2006-10-03). Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn. Henry Holt and Company. pp. 487–. ISBN   9780805076257 . Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "Night School Studio Oxenfree | Night School Studio". nightschoolstudio.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  11. ↑ "Peanuts by Charles Schulz for October 03, 1955". GoComics. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  12. ↑ Masley, Ed (June 16, 2021). "How Mesa punk veterans Authority Zero want to offer fans 'hope at the end of the tunnel'". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Bugs Bunny: Lost In Time Cheats & Codes for PlayStation (PSX)". CheatCodes.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  14. ↑ "LEMON DEMON, DAMN SKIPPY". www.lemondemon.com. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.