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When did the phrase 'Cry Uncle' come out?
What does Cry Uncle mean?
Why do people cry 'uncle'?
What does the exclamation 'Uncle' mean?
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 ...
Unraveling the Mystery: What Does 'Cry Uncle' Mean? • Discover the fascinating origins and meaning of the phrase 'Cry Uncle' in this captivating video. Learn...
- kmenza@hearst.com
- "Go bananas" Monkeys may be our genetic brethren, but they act a little crazier than humans do. Hence the phrase "go ape," which some linguists believe led to "go bananas," as they are stereotypically the favorite snack of apes.
- "Toot your own horn" Back in the sixteenth century, the arrival of a VIP into town was signaled by the trumpeting of horns. If a person blows their own horns (or toots them), it's still seen as being proud or arrogant.
- "Sit tight" This phrase's history doesn't seem to be all that complicated: A person who is sitting literally tightly will be unmoved. If someone asks you to sit tight, they want you to take no further action until told otherwise.
- "Up in the air" This phrase is particularly poetic: If something's up in the air, it's floating around, or not settled. Apparently, English speakers said just "in the air" until the 1800s or so.
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 ...
Aug 1, 2014 · Why do we say “uncle” when admitting defeat? The only facts we know for sure are that it’s strictly a North American phrase, and that it first appeared in written English in 1918. After that ...
This phrase originated about 1900 as an imperative among school-children who would say, “Cry uncle when you've had enough (of a beating).” By the mid-1900s it was being used figuratively, as in the examples.
