Hide and Seek

I always said olly-olly-oxen-free when I played it as a kid. But then as a adult, I happened to read (I forget where) that the original phrase was ...(are you ready for this?):

"All ye, all ye oughts in free!"

Before the game starts, the players play some sort of counting game or rhyme to find out who will be "It". You say the rhyme over and over, and each person you point to at the end of the rhyme is numbered "zero", which in England is called a "nought" or an "ought". The last person who doesn't get eliminated is the first who gets to do the seeking.

So, when "It" is tired of looking for hidden people, he/she says "All you, all you (kids who are called) oughts (come) in free (from being tagged)!"

Hope this doesn't spoil your poll.

========== In Reply To ========== I always said olly-olly-oxen-free when I played it as a kid. But then as a adult, I happened to read (I forget where) that the original phrase was ...(are you ready for this?):

"All ye, all ye oughts in free!"

Before the game starts, the players play some sort of counting game or rhyme to find out who will be "It". You say the rhyme over and over, and each person you point to at the end of the rhyme is numbered "zero", which in England is called a "nought" or an "ought". The last person who doesn't get eliminated is the first who gets to do the seeking.

So, when "It" is tired of looking for hidden people, he/she says "All you, all you (kids who are called) oughts (come) in free (from being tagged)!"

Hope this doesn't spoil your poll.

That's great! I had no idea where the phrase had come from - I never would have guessed. It's interesting how much continuity with the past you can find in senseless children's games and rhymes, don't you think?

========== In Reply To ==========

thats cool how do you know that ???