Remember when you were play fighting and someone called 'Uncle' which was the word for you to stop? Or does it mean something different?
Posted by MsMisty888@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 43 comments
I thought it ment to stop. Where did that saying come from?
ranhayes@reddit
My wife and I still use uncle with each other. She uses it preemptively when she knows I’m fixin to be ornery.
GirlStiletto@reddit
I was aware of the word, but never saw it used. The kids I grew up with gave no mercy and expected none. They were not empathetic enough to stop hurting others for their own amusement unless physical force was brought to bear.
CryptoTreasureHunter@reddit
RecbetterpassNJ@reddit
1st thing I thought of. “Scott FARKAS! He had yellow eyes….YELLOW EYES!”
BottleAgreeable7981@reddit
JuJu_Wirehead@reddit
char_limit_reached@reddit
Scut.
ItsRedditThyme@reddit
We would say both uncle and mercy, when I was growing up.
seigezunt@reddit
Our first safe-word
jeffnorris@reddit
🤣😂 well played
Imverystupidgenx@reddit
coci222@reddit
I learned it because it was actually my uncle that made me say it
cw99x@reddit
bijazthadwarf@reddit
Mercy
cw99x@reddit
Danny-boy6030@reddit
UK agrees with this.
Traditional_Sir_4503@reddit
It’s an English sounding word that comes from the Irish Gaelic word for “mercy.”
“Say Uncle!” = beg me for mercy!
Itsalmostover71@reddit
Means that greedy bastard who’s a bully Uncle Uncle Uncle Sam! Is the way I was shown during my daze here, lmao.
But yeah if the other person shouted uncle it meant they give, they surrender. Today it’s 6-10 yrs upstate. 🤣
Diela1968@reddit
“Say Uncle! Say it”. Usually from another kid while they’re beating you up.
Heard of it, seen it in a movie somewhere, never used it… is there an etymology sub? I’d be curious to find out where it comes from too.
Elses_pels@reddit
A safe word? You may be confused with games played a bit later in life perhaps ?
ContributionDry2252@reddit
Never heard of...
wormil@reddit
When I was in first grade, my 6th grade neighbor would twist my arm every day until I said uncle. Then he started making me say it different languages. He grew up and joined military intelligence.
MsMisty888@reddit (OP)
OMG, the twisting arm thing! We called it snake bites! So brutal what we endured somtimes.
r2killawat@reddit
Did you live beside Scut Farkus?
IM_The_Liquor@reddit
It was a word to stop… and also a little humiliation ritual… Kind of like putting someone in a headlock and saying ‘who’s you DADDY?’…
BuckyGoldman@reddit
Wikipedia has an article on "Say Uncle" and possible origins. Nothing definitive, of course, but somewhat informative.
Historical_Monk_6118@reddit
Just occurred to me, this was everyone's first safe word 🤐
Actually_me_1922@reddit
Default setting
Andrewross_@reddit
We said it to call out of anything: fights, challenges, being tickled, food you didn’t like, even if someone was on a roll being funny and it hurt to laugh… UNCLE UNCLE!
Junkman3@reddit
Truce!
Dollbeau@reddit
Wrestling made the term popular
Like throwing in the towel.
some_one_234@reddit
Don’t know the etymology of saying “uncle “ but yeah it has a whole new meaning nowadays
vajrasana@reddit
Whatever, Unc
PlaneNeedleworker125@reddit
Boomer here, don't know where it came from, but amongst all the kids I knew, it was the equivalent of tapping out. As far as I remember everyone respected it, you definitely stopped fighting when someone said UNCLE!!
MsMisty888@reddit (OP)
School ground rules were a sacred thing.
SlowEmphasis3676@reddit
I give!
MsMisty888@reddit (OP)
Who's your uncle?
SlowEmphasis3676@reddit
You are!
MsMisty888@reddit (OP)
lol
_time_burglar@reddit
I always took it to mean - I give up, you are more powerful/you win.
It was an admission of defeat which had a chance of making the person hurting you or annoying you stop.
MsMisty888@reddit (OP)
I remember some kid yelling 'Who's your Uncle?' and you would yell their name.
meatwads_sweetie@reddit
I thought it meant stop, too. Not sure where it came from.
EzAeMy@reddit
Same