Say Uncle

---

title: "Say Uncle" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-english-idioms", "idioms"] description: "North American idiomatic expression" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_Uncle" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary North American idiomatic expression ::

"Say 'uncle'!" is a chiefly North American expression demanding that the opponent in a contest submit. The response "Uncle!" is equivalent to "Mercy!", "Please!", "I give up!" or similar sentiment, and indicates submission.

Definition

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 game or match.

Origin

There are several theories on the phrase's origin including a phrase from the Roman Empire.

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.

Another theory is that it derives from a phrase uttered by youngsters in the Roman Empire who got into trouble, patrue mi patruissime (“uncle, my best of uncles”).

A fanciful suggestion is that it may be based on a joke from 19th-century England about a bullied parrot being coaxed to address his owner's uncle.

Another suggested origin is from the English phrase “time out”, a plea to cease hostilities. The abbreviated usage "T.O." was mistaken for the Spanish “tío”, which means "uncle".

Foreign-language analog

There is a common analog in the Arabian Peninsula, the expression "قول عمي" ([q]uwl 'aamiy), which means "say uncle".

In Canadian-French, the expression "Dis pardon, mon oncle" is often used in the same way. It means "Say excuse me, uncle".

In the Persian language too, there is the similar expression of غلط کردم, which is said when someone requests to be forgiven while the expression also entails considerable humiliation.

References

References

1. [http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-say1.htm Say (or cry) uncle], World Wide Words
2. ""Online Irish Dictionary, Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Ó Dónaill, 1977)".
3. Safire, William. (2011-11-16). "Language Maven Strikes Again". Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
4. Melançon, Benoît. (2 October 2024). ""Capitulations" -Oreille Tendue".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::