# Hide and Seek - What Did the "It" call to end the round? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862 "2014-11-29T01:26:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/1 "2014-11-29T01:26:39Z")
I was thinking about this (as well as the optional “Go” in the name. Ohio, mid 50’s, we called: “All-ee. All-ee Out Come Free” (I’m guessing "All (still) Out (unfound) Come (In) Free (no penalty). What did you yell! ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/2 "2014-11-29T01:30:00Z")
I would yell “Guys! Mom has dessert!” A dirty trick, but it worked. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/3 "2014-11-29T01:30:32Z")
Ollie, Ollie, oxen free. Northeast Ohio, 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/4 "2014-11-29T01:30:32Z")
olly olly oxen free. You asked. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/5 "2014-11-29T01:39:01Z")
Olly olly oxen free. Rural Idaho, mid-60s. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/6 "2014-11-29T01:45:21Z")
More than you thought there was possible to know about [olly olly oxen free](http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2014/06/ollie-ollie-in-come-free.html). ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/7 "2014-11-29T01:49:57Z")
All-ee. All-ee In Come Free or All-ee. All-ee Oxen Free ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/8 "2014-11-29T02:47:44Z")
MA/RI in the early 60s. All-ee All-ee In Come Free. Although I had no idea it was “all”, and probably pronounced it as: Olly Olly In Come Free. The first two words were, AFAIWC, nonsense words. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/9 "2014-11-29T03:21:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ollie, Ollie, oxen free. Northeast Ohio, 1980s. The same, but we said free three times, if I remember correctly. Chicago suburbs - early 60s. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/10 "2014-11-29T03:42:16Z")
olly olly oxen free. Texas late 60’s ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/11 "2014-11-29T04:49:02Z")
Pooloo Sea Bagoomba! ---
**Author:** ![Hopeful\_Crow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@Hopeful\_Crow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hopeful_Crow)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/12 "2014-11-29T05:37:08Z")
Allee, allee, all come free. Seattle, Washington. 60’s-70’s. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/13 "2014-11-29T15:37:57Z")
Detroit, late 80s-90s: Olly-olly oxen free(d) I distinctly remember wondering what the hell the phrase meant, and always getting a mental image of Pa from the Little House books farming with the oxen and yelling HAW and GEE. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/14 "2014-11-29T15:50:16Z")
“Eff you guys, I’m going home.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/15 "2014-11-29T15:56:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ollie, Ollie, oxen free. Northeast Ohio, 1980s. Me too. Chicago, early-to-mid 80s. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/16 "2014-11-29T16:11:24Z")
I only know “Olly olly oxen free” and its variations from TV and books. Cecil did a column about it a while back: [What’s the meaning of "Ollie, Ollie oxen go free"? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1102/whats-the-meaning-of-ollie-ollie-oxen-go-free) When I was a kid we said “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” I grew up in Western New York in the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/17 "2014-11-29T16:22:56Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > When I was a kid we said “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” I grew up in Western New York in the 1970s. Same here. Bronx, 1950s. I’ve only heard of “Olly olly oxen free” in TV and books. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/18 "2014-11-29T16:45:49Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > The same, but we said free three times, if I remember correctly. > > Chicago suburbs - early 60s. Also Chicago suburbs, early 60’s, but we said “free” just once in my neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/19 "2014-11-29T16:48:01Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > olly olly oxen free. Texas late 60’s Ditto, California, 1960s. I assume the phrase slurred from “…outs in free” but concede that’s a folk etymology. > [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Pooloo > > Sea > > Bagoomba! Klaatu… barada… necktie! ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862/20 "2014-11-29T17:01:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ollie, Ollie, oxen free. Northeast Ohio, 1980s. Me too, including the northeastern Ohio part but about a decade earlier. I have always wondered what free oxen had to do with the game. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hide-and-seek-what-did-the-it-call-to-end-the-round/705862.md?page=2)