Olly olly oxen free

For the 1978 film, see Olly Olly Oxen Free (film).

Olly olly oxen free (and variants: olly olly umphrey, olly olly ee, outtie outtie let's be free, olly olly oxen tree, all-y all-y all set free, olly olly in come free, ally alley ocean free, etc.) is a catchphrase used in such children's games as hide and seek, capture the flag, or kick the can to indicate that players who are hiding can come out into the open without losing the game, that the position of the sides in a game has changed (as in which side is in the field or which side is at bat or "up" in baseball or kickball), or, alternatively, that the game is entirely over. Cassidy and Hall write that 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. Various calls used for such purposes have gone by the collective name of "ollyoxalls" in some places. Tukey and Rowell speculate that the phrase may be a corruption of a hypothetical and ungrammatical German phrase alle, alle, auch sind frei (all, all, are also free).

Another possible origin might be the Greek language. Óloi óloi éxo would translate to "everybody everybody out."

In popular culture

• Perry Como released a novelty song in 1941 entitled "Ollie Ollie Outs in Free"

• In Dennis the Menace Season 1, Episode 18 (1960), Dennis says the phrase to call Mr. Wilson out of the closet in which he is developing film

• The Kingston Trio released a song in 1963 entitled "Ally Ally Oxen Free"

• The phrase was used as the title for a 1978 film starring Katharine Hepburn

• In Child's Play 3 (1991), Chucky says the phrase when he tries to find Tyler who is playing hide and seek

• In Seinfeld Season 7 Episode 8 (1995), when Newman was running toward the pool to jump in, he yelled the phrase

• In the Halo novels and games, members of the Spartan companies use the phrase to alert other Spartans to their presence or as an "all clear" signal

• In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002), guards will call this out while searching for the player

• In Dead Like Me Season 2, Episode 14 (2003), the protagonist George Lass says the phrase after reaping a graveling

• In the novel Thirteen Reasons Why (2007), "olly olly oxen free" becomes a catchphrase among the characters

• In Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show (2009), Ed says the phrase when searching for Eddy's big brother in a gag factory
• In The Simpson's "Rednecks and Broomsticks" (Season 21, Episode 7) Lisa utters the phrase when exiting the base of a tree after a game of hide and seek

• HIM's 2010 song "Love, the Hardest Way" mentions the phrase

• Widespread Panic's 2010 song "Saint Ex" mentions the phrase

• Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra released a song in 2012 entitled "Olly Olly Oxen Free"

• Ramona Falls' 2012 song "Spore" mentions the phrase

• In The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Episode 10 (2012), Damon Salvatore uses the phrase "Come on, Stef. Olly olly oxen free" as he walks into sunlight

• Falling in Reverse's 2013 song "Bad Girls Club" mentions the phrase

• In Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Episode 22 (2013), Spencer Hastings uses the phrase when found by Dr. Sullivan at Radley Sanitarium. And in Season 4 Episode 15 (2014), the character known as "A" writes "Ali Ali oxen-free. Whoever finds her, gets to keep her."

• In Ash vs Evil Dead Season 1, Episode 8 (2015), the eponymous main character says the phrase while seeking out his evil clone

• Macklemore's 2015 hit "Downtown" mentions the phrase

• Sworn In's 2015 single is named after the phrase using the variation "Oliolioxinfree"

• The 2016 video game Oxenfree is named after the phrase, and references to its meaning can be found in the game