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    • Late 19th century

      • The term, which is universally recognized as words that concede defeat (i.e., "I give up"), was traced back to the late 19th century, according to the website worldwidewords.org, and was used as a focal point in a joke.
      www.tampabay.com › archive › 2011/02/21

      ORIGINS OF 'CRY UNCLE' - Tampa Bay Times

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  3. www.tampabay.com › 2011/02/21 › origins-of-cry-uncleORIGINS OF 'CRY UNCLE' - Tampa Bay Times

    Feb 21, 2011 · The term, which is universally recognized as words that concede defeat (i.e., "I give up"), was traced back to the late 19th century, according to the website worldwidewords.org, and was used as...

  4. worldwidewords.org › qa › qa-say1World Wide Words: Say (or cry) uncle

    Nov 28, 1998 · The speculations are ingenious: one from American Speech in 1980 was that “Uncle in this expression is surely a folk etymology, and the Irish original of the word is anacol... ‘act of protecting; deliverance; mercy, quarter, safety’, a verbal noun from the Old Irish verb aingid, ‘protects’ ”.

  5. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Say_UncleSay Uncle - Wikipedia

    Origin. There are several theories on the phrase's origin. 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. [2]

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  7. www.mentalfloss.com › 57984 › why-do-we-say-uncleWhy Do We Say Uncle? | Mental Floss

    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 ...

  8. www.goodhousekeeping.com › life › g3549The Real Meaning Behind the Weird Phrases You Say

    • 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.

  9. idioms.thefreedictionary.com › cry+uncleCry uncle - Idioms by The Free Dictionary

    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. See also: cry, uncle. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

  10. www.phrases.org.uk › bulletin_board › 7Say 'UNCLE' - phrase meaning and origin - Phrasefinder

    : Anyone know where the phrase 'Say Uncle' meaning 'I give up' came from? It seems that while "crying uncle" is today regarded as an Americanism, its origins go all the way back to the Roman Empire. Roman children, when beset by a bully, would be forced to say "Patrue, mi Patruissimo," or "Uncle, my best Uncle," in order to surrender and be freed.

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