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Feb 21, 2011 · ORIGINS OF 'CRY UNCLE'. Published Feb. 21, 2011. Why is the wrestling term "cry uncle," and not aunt or anything else? There is no definitive history on the origin of the phrase, though there is ...
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’ ”.
Mar 12, 2012 · 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.
is an indication of submission—analogous to "I give up!"—or it may be a cry for mercy, in such a game or match. 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.
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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.”.
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. Discover More. Example Sentences.
Aug 31, 2023 · Etymology [ edit] See etymology at say uncle . Pronunciation [ edit] Audio (AU) Verb [ edit] cry uncle (third-person singular simple present cries uncle, present participle crying uncle, simple past and past participle cried uncle) ( US, colloquial) To beg for mercy; to give up, admit defeat. [from 19th c.] Synonyms [ edit] say uncle. Categories:
