# Ollie ollie outs in free free free

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ollie-ollie-outs-in-free-free-free/1124>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 10, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ollie-ollie-outs-in-free-free-free/1124 "2000-03-10T02:44:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Raoul\_Anatherwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@Raoul\_Anatherwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raoul_Anatherwan)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ollie-ollie-outs-in-free-free-free/1124/41 "2002-04-16T16:53:41Z")

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Having been in Germany for a couple of years defending you slackers [and civilization in general] from the “Evil Empire”, IMHO the origin of “Ollie, Ollie oxen free” is simply an Americanization of the German, “Alle, Alle auch sind Frei.” Literallly translated, this is, “All, All also are free.” Ollie Ollie probably came about when immigrant German children and American childred played together in cities like N.Y. in the early part of the 20th century.

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**Author:** ![elfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/258eb7/32.png) [@elfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfin)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ollie-ollie-outs-in-free-free-free/1124/42 "2002-04-16T17:25:45Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bw8 \*  
> While learning French, I was told by someone who was further down the road in learning the language (i.e., unquestionably reliable and knowledgeable source) that the famous hide-and-go-seek saying came a long time ago from the French, I think from maybe the First World War if I recall, who when clearing out of a place would say: “Allez, Allez, On s’en fuit.” (The last word I can’t remember the correct conjugation, s’en fruire, I think, but it means to take off from a place.) Rough translation: “Go/Take off/Get out of here! Everyone is taking off!”

The word is “s’enfuir” (unless it’s old French or something), no space between “en” and “fuir”, meaning to flee or run away

However, wouldn’t running _away_ be in the wrong direction for Hide and Seek?

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**Author:** ![Balor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Balor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balor)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ollie-ollie-outs-in-free-free-free/1124/43 "2002-04-17T12:08:26Z")

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The phrase you are discussing is not normally found among English speaking children on this side of the Atlantic. It is used mainly by children influenced by an American background. (This contrasts with rhymes like “Ring a ring a roses” which are part of a shared cultural background.)

This lack of background supports the belief that it is a German phrase - that it was imported by children as uncomprehended sounds into the American language. That is why there are so many variations of the phrase, since it was originally heard as a series of nonsense syllable.

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