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- Due to heavy Irish immigration in eastern Canada and New England in the 19th century, it is likely an anglicization of the Irish 'anacal', meaning deliverance or quarter. A less likely theory is that it derives from a phrase uttered by youngsters in the Roman empire who got into trouble, patrue mi patruissime (“uncle, my best of uncles”).
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Feb 21, 2011 · There is no definitive history on the origin of the phrase, though there is plenty of speculation. The term, which is universally recognized as words that concede defeat (i.e., "I give up"), was ...
Nov 28, 1998 · This call by one child for another to submit or cry for mercy — which appears variously as say uncle!, cry uncle! or holler uncle! — is first recorded in print in the US early in the twentieth century. The Oxford English Dictionary ’s first example is from 1918, but I’ve found an instance in an advertisement in the Modesto News of ...
Oct 5, 2016 · Most American schoolboys are (perhaps unhappily) familiar with the expression cry uncle or holler uncle, meaning “give up in a fight, ask for mercy.” Uncle in this expression is surely a folk etymology, and the Irish original of the word is anacol (anacal, anacul) “act of protecting; deliverance; mercy, quarter.”
The Meaning: A Raw Expression of Vulnerability. “Cry Uncle” is more than just a song; it’s a raw expression of vulnerability. It delves into the depths of human emotions, revealing the yearning for love and connection that resides within all of us. The title itself, “Cry Uncle,” implies surrender and seeking refuge.
- Dwight Wells
Unraveling the Mystery: What Does 'Cry Uncle' Mean? • Discover the fascinating origins and meaning of the phrase 'Cry Uncle' in this captivating video. Learn...
Apr 7, 1985 · Charles Earle Funk, in his ''Heavens to Betsy!'' book of word origins, tosses out a possibility in the Latin cry Patrue mi patruissime - ''Uncle, my best of uncles!'' - but how that might have ...
In the United States and Canada, the idiomatic expression "Say 'uncle'!" may be used as an imperative command to demand submission of one's opponent, such as during an informal wrestling match or tickling. Similarly, the exclamation "Uncle!" is an indication of submission—analogous to "I give up!"—or it may be a cry for mercy, in such a ...
