# Say Uncle

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-uncle/284204>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 11, 2005, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-uncle/284204 "2005-01-11T13:53:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tri\_Tandem\_Solo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tri\_Tandem\_Solo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tri_Tandem_Solo)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-uncle/284204/1 "2005-01-11T13:53:47Z")

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undefinedWhile playing and frollicking with my kids, I continued tickling my daughter until she said “uncle!”  
Anyone know how the term “Uncle” came to mean I-give-up?undefined

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-uncle/284204/2 "2005-01-11T14:43:58Z")

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According to [wordorigins.org](http://wordorigins.org):

> [@](#):
>
> The OED2 includes a cite from American Speech in 1976 where the origin is traced to the Irish _anacol_, meaning an act of mercy or quarter. So, to say uncle appears to be a folk etymology that arose in North America from Irish immigrants. The phrase is pretty much unknown in the UK and Ireland.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-uncle/284204/3 "2005-01-11T14:54:32Z")

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Here is what the Word Detective [has to say](http://www.word-detective.com/112701.html#uncle)

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-uncle/284204/4 "2005-01-11T16:10:40Z")

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Just wanted to relate a story. I was wrestling around with my son when he was very young. When I told him to say ‘uncle’, he said ‘John’. Took me an hour to stop laughing about it.