ollie, ollie, etc

[allenlw]

My undestanding is that it originates from the German

alles, alles, auch sind frei.

[John_W.Kennedy]

First, this is What’s the meaning of “Ollie, Ollie oxen go free”?.

Second, yes, this is one theory. As usual, proof appears to be wanting. The version I knew in the 50’s was “All-y, all-y, outs in free,” which makes pretty nearly perfect sense in English.

[Won-Tolla]

I have heard the German theory too, and it sounds more plausible than “It” telling her allies to let the oxen go free, or whatever.

To sidetrack a bit, in an old Peanuts strip Lucy goes around shouting “Olee olee Olsen free-o!” until Violet comes over and tells her it’s supposed to be “Ally ally out are in free!”
Looks like John and Violet grew up in the same area.

[samclem]

I can cite a story in the New York Times from 1909. The grandfather who was playing hide and seek with his grandkids was said to say, “All’s out’s in free.”

Just to give a point of how early the English variant appears.

[danceswithcats]

From Michael Quinion’s World Wide Words:

[Q] From Matt J. Fuller, Cincinnati, USA: “I am trying to find the etymology and correct spelling of the term Olly olly in-come-free, used in children’s games to signal that the game is over or that the main player has given up hope of winning. Help would be appreciated.”
[A] I’m not sure that there is a “correct” spelling of the phrase. There are dozens of different forms of it, known to children all over North America at various times. The one I’ve come across is ollie ollie oxen free, but that may not be the most common form.
Children’s sayings were hardly recorded until the 1950s, and they are very variable. That’s because they’ve been passed down orally from one generation to the next, with no adult intervention or correction.
One guess is that the original was something like “all in free” for “all who are out can come in free”, to indicate that the person who is “it” in the game of hide-and-seek has caught somebody to become the new “it”, and so everybody else can come out of hiding without the risk of being caught.
Oral transmission has garbled this in fascinating ways, with all in, for example, being translated by a series of mishearings to the name Ollie (short for Oliver, once more common than it is now). And oxen may have come from an intermediate form out’s in free—other recorded versions are awk in, Oxford, and ocean.
Various subscribers remember versions that suggest the first part of the catch was once something like “all of you”. Charles Wilson wrote: “When I was growing up in the American South we actually said, ‘All ye all ye outs in free’ when playing hide-and-seek (although we called it ‘hide-and-go-seek’)”.
The more recent ollie for a successful jump in skateboarding is probably unconnected.
[I’m grateful to Jesse Sheidlower for his reply to a question posed to Jesse’s Word of the Day, taken from his book of the same name.]

I’m sending a query to Mr. Quinion about the German wording.

[danceswithcats]

Here’s my email:

A message board which I frequent has a thread up regarding the above children’s game phrase, and one poster suggests the origin is: “alles, alles, auch sind frei.” Not knowing German, I’m without a clue, and checking your entry on that item, no mention of German is made.

His reply:

Possible, but unlikely. The expression doesn’t seem to have any
German connections, at least that I’ve come across.

Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words

[Zeldar]

When I was little, we said something like “O-lee O-lee Able Sings” and I had no idea at the time what it meant or even where I heard it from. Some other kid most likely. I was an adult before I heard the “oxen free” variation and just chalked it up to regional differences.

But a side issue I’m curious about (have been for a long time) is how children learn such things. I know my parents never told me that or any other game-related terminology. Other kids’ parents may have told them and perhaps I picked it up second hand from adults. But I do doubt that. My hypothesis is that kids “pick stuff up” from older kids and it gets passed along (like in that “telephone gossip” game) with rampant variation.

Aside from regional differences, I’m amazed that such things have an identifiable origin that can be relied on. Call me a skeptic on such things.

[Crandolph]

@allenlw

My undestanding is that it originates from the German

alles, alles, auch sind frei.

That’s basically “everyone, everyone also are free” translating word by word just to clarify.

[samclem]

@Zeldar

Aside from regional differences, I’m amazed that such things have an identifiable origin that can be relied on. Call me a skeptic on such things.

Well, if you look at my post above showing a 1909 print cite for one English version of it, that shows what was out there at that point. And, someday, we’ll find something earlier. And, who knows, it may be the German version.

Trying to find the source of such things is what it’s all about to a linguist.

[darthbaz]

@samclem

Well, if you look at my post above showing a 1909 print cite for one English version of it, that shows what was out there at that point. And, someday, we’ll find something earlier. And, who knows, it may be the German version.

Trying to find the source of such things is what it’s all about to a linguist.

Living as I do in the North of England we used the word spuggy as a slang term for chewing/bubble gum.

Darthbaz