Olly olly oxen free explained

"Olly olly oxen free" is a catchphrase or truce term used in children's games such as hide and seek, capture the flag, and kick the can to indicate that players who are hiding can come out into the open without losing the game or that the position of the sides in a game has changed (as in which side is on the field or which side is at bat or "up" in baseball or kickball); alternatively, that the game is entirely over.

The origin of the phrase is unknown. The Dictionary of American Regional English says the phrase may be derived from all ye, all ye outs in free, all the outs in free, or possibly ”calling all the outs in free”; in other words, all who are out may come in without penalty.^[1] Others speculate the phrase may be a corruption of a hypothetical and ungrammatical German phrase alle, alle, auch sind frei (all, all, also are free).^[2]

A number of variations exist. "Ollyoxalls" is one such variant, said to be used in Portsmouth, England.^[3] Another variant is "Ollie Ollie in come free."^[4]

In literature and the arts

• Various songs are named "Olly olly oxen free", or a variant thereof, including songs by: the Ted Weems orchestra (sung by a young Perry Como);^[5] Terry Scott Taylor, on his 2004 album ;^[6] the metalcore band Sworn In, on their 2015 album The Lovers/The Devil;^[7] and Amanda Palmer, on her 2012 album Theatre Is Evil.^[8]
• Olly Olly Oxen Free (1978) is a film starring Katharine Hepburn.^[9]
• Oxenfree is a 2016 videogame by Night School Studio.^[10]
• In the Peanuts comic strip for October 3, 1955, Lucy hollers "Olee Olee Olsen Free-O!" Violet informs her chagrined friend that it should be "Ally ally out are in free!"^[11]
• The punk band Authority Zero released an album called Ollie Ollie Oxen Free in 2021.^[12]
• In the 1999 video game , Bugs Bunny calls out the phrase whenever the super-jump ability is activated.^[13]
• In the song "New Way Out" on the 2005 Lemon Demon album "Damn Skippy", the phrase is used.^[14]
• In the 2007 novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, the phrase is used by some characters as a safe space to let out their feelings to one another.
• In the song, "Drive" on the 1992 R.E.M. album Automatic for the People the phrase is used.
• In the song “Bad Girls Club” on the 2013 Falling in Reverse album Fashionably Late the phrase is used.
• In the song “Downtown” on the 2016 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis album This Unruly Mess I've Made (originally released as a single in 2015) the phrase is used.
• In the Halo franchise, "Oly Oly Oxen Free" is the name of a short melody and a phrase important among the Spartan-IIs.^[15]
• In season 2, episode 6 of Mr Mercedes
• In the song “It’s Raining” by Peter, Paul & Mary they use the phrase “Olly Olly in free” at the end of the song.
• In the song "Alpha Desperation March" by the Mountain Goats on the 1999 album Bitter Melon Farm, a variant of the phrase is used.
• The phrase is used verbatim in the song "Rat King" by The Flatliners, on their 2022 album "New Ruin".

See also

• Truce term

Notes and References

1. Cassidy, Frederick Gome; and Joan Hall, "Ole Ole Olson All In Free", another way of saying it is oll-e oll-e ox-and-free Dictionary of American Regional English, (1985) Vol III (I-O), p. 874.
2. Book: Tukey. Paul Boardway. Rowell. Victoria. Tag, Toss & Run: 40 Classic Lawn Games. 13 September 2015. 2012. Storey Pub.. 9781603425605. 13–.
3. Opie, Iona and Peter. Lore and Language of Schoolchildren. Oxford: Clarendon, 1959 p.143
4. Web site: Ollie Ollie In Come Free! . Tabler . Dave . June 8, 2010 . appalachianhistory.net . Dave Tabler . May 20, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100618015117/http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2010/06/ollie-ollie-in-come-free.html . 2010-06-18.
5. Book: Macfarlane. Malcolm. Crossland. Ken. Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record. 13 September 2015. 2012-05-10. McFarland. 9781476600246. 26.
6. Web site: VGMdb – Imaginarium: Songs from the Neverhood. 2 September 2017.
7. Web site: Oliolioxinfree, by Sworn In. Genius. 2020-07-07.
8. Web site: Piano Is Evil, by Amanda Palmer. Amanda Palmer. 2018-11-11.
9. Book: Mann, William J.. Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn. 13 September 2015. 2006-10-03. Henry Holt and Company. 9780805076257. 487–.
10. Web site: Night School Studio Oxenfree Night School Studio. nightschoolstudio.com. 2020-04-21.
11. Web site: Peanuts by Charles Schulz for October 03, 1955 . GoComics . 19 February 2022.
12. Web site: Masley. Ed. How Mesa punk veterans Authority Zero want to offer fans 'hope at the end of the tunnel'. The Arizona Republic. June 16, 2021. July 10, 2021.
13. Web site: Bugs Bunny: Lost In Time Cheats & Codes for PlayStation (PSX). 2022-01-04. CheatCodes.com.
14. Web site: LEMON DEMON, DAMN SKIPPY . 2024-02-23 . www.lemondemon.com.
15. Web site: 2023-05-14 . Spartan signals . 2024-07-16 . Halopedia . en.