truce term
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A truce term is a
word A word is a basic element of language that carries an semantics, objective or pragmatics, practical semantics, meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of w ...
or short
phrase In syntax and grammar, a phrase is a group of words or singular word acting as a grammatical unit. For instance, the English expression "the very happy squirrel" is a noun phrase which contains the adjective phrase "very happy". Phrases can consi ...
accepted within a community of children as an effective way of calling for a temporary respite or
truce A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
during a game or activity, such as tag or its variants. Common examples in
English speaking English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the i ...
cultures are ''barley'', ''fainites'', ''crosses'', ''kings'' and ' in the United Kingdom, ''pegs'' and ''nibs'' in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and variants of ''barley'' in Australia. In the United States, terms based on '' time-out'' have, from the 1950s onwards, largely supplanted earlier common terms based on ''kings'' and '. Since the late 1980s ''time-out'' has been recorded in other
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
-speaking cultures besides the US. Examples of use of truce terms are if a child has a stitch or wants to raise a point on the rules of the game. Traditionally these terms are specific to certain geographical areas, although some may be used by a particular
social group In the social sciences, a social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties ...
such as ''pax'' in the UK (used primarily by children attending
private school Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
s). To be functional a truce term must be understood and honoured by most of the children playing together. The most extensive study of the use and incidence of these terms is that undertaken by
folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...
s
Iona and Peter Opie Iona Margaret Balfour Opie, (13 October 1923 – 23 October 2017) and Peter Mason Opie (25 November 1918 – 5 February 1982) were an English married team of folklorists who applied modern techniques to understanding children's literature and ...
in the UK in their 1959 book, ''The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren'', which mapped the use of truce terms across England, Wales and Scotland. The Opies considered it the most important word in a schoolchild's
vocabulary A vocabulary is a set of familiar words within a person's language. A vocabulary, usually developed with age, serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is one of the la ...
and one for which there was no adult equivalent. There has been little recent research in the UK, but such research as exists indicates that truce terms, including some of those prevalent in the late 1950s, are still in general use. Studies conducted since the 1970s in English speaking cultures show that truce terms are also prevalent in Australia,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and the United States with a number of terms deriving from older terms used in the UK, but many not. The use of a truce term is usually accompanied by a gesture, such as
crossed fingers To cross one's fingers is a hand gesture commonly used to wish for luck. Occasionally it is interpreted as an attempt to implore God for protection.''Orange Coast Magazine''. Emmis Communications. May 1990. pg. 177. "In early Christian days, a ...
of one or both hands or the raising of thumbs. In the US a T-shape made with both hands (representing ''time-out'') has become prevalent and this gesture is also appearing in other countries.


Use

Truce terms are recorded as having been used in the following circumstances; being out of breath, having a stitch, a shoelace being undone, fear of clothes being damaged, needing to go to the lavatory, checking the time, wanting to discuss or clarify rules during a fight or game, or one combatant wanting to remove their spectacles or jacket before continuing. It does not mean to surrender, although it may sometimes be used in preparation to surrendering. Truce terms are only used within a specific age group, have little currency outside that group, and are by and large abandoned by the age of 10 or 11 years. However, research into early recorded use of these terms found examples of some of these terms being used as a sign of surrender in battle or adult fights or quarrels as early as the 18th century. The vocabulary of
children's games This is a list of games that used to be played by children, some of which are still being played today. Traditional children's games do not include commercial products such as board games but do include games which require props such as hopscotch ...
, including truce terms, is described by
sociolinguist Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any or all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and society's effect on language. It can overlap with the sociology of l ...
Peter Trudgill Peter Trudgill, FBA (; born 7 November 1943) is an English sociolinguist, academic and author. Trudgill was born in Norwich, England and grew up in the area of Thorpe St Andrew. He attended the City of Norwich School from 1955. Trudgill studie ...
in ''Dialects of England'' as being particularly rich in regional variation insofar as it is not based on official or television culture. They are an example of the subculture of young children which is transmitted by word of mouth.


United Kingdom


Opie study

The Opies conducted a study of the use of truce terms throughout England, Scotland and Wales in the 1950s and published their results in a book called ''The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren''. They found truce terms varied according to geographical location, with the exception of ''pax''. In some places, more than one term was current and often four or five were known, although usually only one term predominated. Schools bordering two linguistic regions honoured both. The words used in
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
areas were often at odds with words used in the surrounding countryside. The Opies recorded around 45 truce terms plus variations. The most widely used were ''barley'', ''fainites'', ''kings'', ''crosses'', ''keys'', ''skinch'', ''cree'' and ''scribs''. ''Barley'' was recorded by the Opies as the prevailing term in east Scotland and the
Borders A border is a geographical boundary. Border, borders, The Border or The Borders may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Border'' (1997 film), an Indian Hindi-language war film * ''Border'' (2018 Swedish film), ...
, the
Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
, north-west England, west
Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
and in Wales, apart from the south east of Wales where ''cree'' prevailed. There were many variations such as ''barley-bay'', ''barley-bees'', ''barlow'' or ''barrels''. The use of ''barlay'' as a truce term appears in the 14th century poem '' Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight'' and
Tobias Smollett Tobias George Smollett (baptised 19 March 1721 – 17 September 1771) was a Scottish poet and author. He was best known for picaresque novels such as ''The Adventures of Roderick Random'' (1748), ''The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle'' (1751) a ...
's '' The Reprisal''. It is recorded in
lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons, and is divided into two separate academic disciplines. It is the art of compiling dictionaries. * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries. * Theoreti ...
John Jamieson John Jamieson (3 March 1759 – 12 July 1838) was a Scottish minister of religion, lexicographer, philologist and antiquary. His most important work is the ''Dictionary of the Scottish Language''. Life He was born in Glasgow in March 1759 the ...
's 1808 ''Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language'' as a term specifically used by children to demand truce. A probable variation also appears in the 1568 manuscript ''Chrysts-Kirk of the Grene'', sometimes attributed to
James I of Scotland James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older brother David, Duke of Ro ...
, as follows; ::Thocht he was wicht, he was nocht wyss, :::With sic Jangleurs to jummill; ::For frae his Thoume they dang a Sklyss, :::Quhyle he cry'd ''Barlafummill''. The "Thoume" (thumb) that is "sklyss" (sliced) in the quote above may refer to the thumb having been raised by the man calling ''barlafummill'', a common accompanying gesture to the use of a truce term in Scotland. ''Fainites'' and ''fains'' (or ''vainites'' and ''vains'') predominated in London and throughout southern England, apart from the ''scribs'' and ''screams'' of east
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, and extended north as far as Olney in
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
. Variations included ''fennits'', ''fannies'', ', ''faylines'', ''vainlights'' and ''vainyards''. ''
Notes and Queries ''Notes and Queries'', also styled ''Notes & Queries'', is a long-running quarterly scholarly journal that publishes short articles related to " English language and literature, lexicography, history, and scholarly antiquarianism".From the inne ...
'' reported in 1870 that ''fains'' was in common use by London schoolboys. ''Faints'' appeared in an 1889 dictionary of slang and ''fainits'' in 1891. According to philologist
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
, the term derives from the medieval term ''fein I'', descended in turn from the
Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
''se feindre'' meaning "to make excuses, hang back or back out of battle". He also proposes that this use of the term throws light on line 529 of the Clerk's Tale by
Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
that "lordes heestes mowe nat been ''yfeyned''" (the lords orders cannot be treated with a ''fain I''; in other words, declined). Another translation of the Anglo-Norman word ''feindre'' is "pretend, feign, turn a blind eye to", which is what the more powerful child does whilst granting respite. Spoken English south of the
Danelaw The Danelaw (, also known as the Danelagh; ang, Dena lagu; da, Danelagen) was the part of England in which the laws of the Danes held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. The Danelaw contrasts with the West Saxon law and the Mercian ...
became, from at least the 11th century onwards, characterised by a pronunciation known as Southern Voicing, such as ' for frog, or ' for summer. ''Vainites'' or ''vains'', variants of ''fainites'' or ''fains'', are surviving examples of this on the borders of the Danelaw to the north of London. Other truce terms prevail within the Danelaw. ''Kings'' was recorded by the Opies as common in eastern England. ''
The English Dialect Dictionary ''The English Dialect Dictionary'' (''EDD'') is the most comprehensive dictionary of English dialects ever published, compiled by the Yorkshire dialectologist Joseph Wright (1855–1930), with strong support by a team and his wife Elizabeth Mar ...
'' recorded much the same in the nineteenth century. The earliest recorded instance the Opies found was in Sternberg's 1851 ''Dialect of Northamptonshire''. ''Queens'' is recorded as used in the ''kings'' area, sometimes as an alternative and sometimes as indicating readiness to restart the game. ''Kings truce'' is found in Thomas Dekker's ''
The Honest Whore ''The Honest Whore'' is an early Jacobean city comedy, written in two parts; ''Part 1'' is a collaboration between Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton, while ''Part 2'' is the work of Dekker alone. The plays were acted by the Admiral's Men. ...
, Part One (II,i)'', which appeared in 1604. The term is used in the play to halt a quarrel. ''Crosses'', ''cruces'', ''creases'' and ''cree'' were found in a broad band across England from ''crosses'' in
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
, ''cruce'' or ''cruces'' from
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
through to
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
, ''creases'' in
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
and ''cree'' in
South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
and both sides of the
Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
. There are some areas of ', ' or ''screws'' in Essex and Suffolk. The Opies saw ''creases'' as a transitional word. ''Exes'', used around
Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
and
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, was thought to be a variant of ''crosses''. ''Bars'' and sometimes ' were common in
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
in an otherwise predominantly ''fainites'' area. ''Bar'' was used the other side of the
Bristol channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
in
Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
. ''Skinch'' or ' predominated in
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
and
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
, another term first recorded in a nineteenth-century
dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of Linguistics, linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety (linguisti ...
dictionary. ''Keys'' was found by the Opies to be the prevailing term in western Scotland and in a strip running through north-west England in an otherwise predominantly ''barley'' area. ''Scribs'' or ''squibs'' covered an area from
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
to
West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
and
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
. Other Hampshire variants were ''scrims'', ''screens'', ''scrames'', ''screams'', ''creams'' and ''cribs''. ''Finns'' was used in
Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...
. ''Pax'', (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for 'peace'), was a group dialect word rather than a regional one as it was predominantly used in private schools and
school stories The school story is a fiction genre centring on older pre-adolescent and adolescent school life, at its most popular in the first half of the twentieth century. While examples do exist in other countries, it is most commonly set in English board ...
. Many individual cities, towns and rural districts had their own words, not used elsewhere such as ''bees'', ''blobs'', ''croggies'', ''denny'', ', ''locks'', ''peas'', ''peril'', ''nix'', ''truce'', ''snakes'' and ''twigs''. Certainly the term ''fainlights'' (with crossed fingers of one hand) was used in parts of East London in the 1950s, whereas ''vainlights'' was a truce term of the same period in parts of Surrey.


Post-Opie studies

A study undertaken in
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
in 1974 confirmed the Opies' findings. However, a later study undertaken in
Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
, Surrey in 1988 found the use of truce terms much less uniform. Croydon is firmly in the ''fainites'' area on the Opies' map, but in 1988 ''fainites'' was only the third most commonly used term. The most common terms were ''pax'' (30%), ''jecs'' (25%), ''fainites'' (20%) and ''cross keys'' (2%). ''Jecs'' is a term not recorded by the Opies at all and there was some evidence that it derived from the word ''injection''. ''Fainites'' was known more than it was used and was reported by one teacher to be "totally lacking in
street credibility Credibility comprises the Objectivity (philosophy), objective and Subjectivism (philosophy), subjective components of the believability of a source or message. Credibility dates back to Aristotle theory of Rhetoric. Aristotle defines rhetoric ...
". ''Pax'' was no longer a group word as reported by the Opies. Other terms reported included ''pips'', '' force field'' and ''quits''. The authors concluded that either the Opies had grossly oversimplified the picture or things had radically changed in 30 years (some seven to eight generations of primary school children). They also noted that although some schools reported a marked preference for a particular term, all schools reported at least some children using different terms. The Concise Scots Language Dictionary published in 1999, records the use of ''keys'' as a truce term in Fife, south west and west central Scotland.


Australia

According to researchers from the National Australian Dictionary Centre there is evidence that ''barley'' (Scotland and the west of England), ' (Aberdeen and a few English towns), ''bar'' (Swansea) and ''bars'' (Devon), are used in Australia. In Australia the terms are used regionally with
Victorians In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian ...
using ''barley'',
New South Welshmen ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , e ...
using ''bar'' or ''bars'' and the people of
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
using ''.''


Ireland

In
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, "pax" is a common truce term, sometimes corrupted to "tax." In
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, the word ''síocháin'' ("peace") or ''méaram'' (perhaps from ''méar'', "finger") is used.


New Zealand

A study undertaken between 1999 and 2001 in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
by lexicographers Laurie and Winifred Bauer on traditional forms of play included truce terms. The terms they described in their study were regional and the most common were ''pegs'' (widespread), ''twigs'' (Taranaki), ''gates'' (Auckland), ''tags'' (Nelson Marlborough), and ''nibs'' (Otago-Southland). In
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
schools the dominant term was ''fans'', recorded in New Zealand before 1920, which the authors state derives from ''fains'' or ''fain it'' as described by the Opies, itself dating back to
Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
ian times. The most widespread term was ''pegs'', derived from ''pax''. Apparently unrecorded before World War II this appears to have first changed to ''pags'', probably from being shouted out at length, and then further mutated by virtue of broad New Zealand accents to ''pegs''. The Bauers thought the most likely hypothesis for the use of this rather upper class term from the UK, was that it derived from books and stories about UK public schools. Similarly they thought ''nibs'' derived from ''nix'', possibly via ''nigs'', originally from South Africa though unknown to the Opies save for a very small area of ''nicks'' possibly from ''nicklas''. ''Nix'' is also UK public school slang though not as a truce term. ''Nixs'' and ''flix'' were recorded as having been described by a South African boy as prevalent in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, and were thought by a South African linguist to have derived from an
Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
term. Many of the common truce terms recorded by the Bauers such as ''bags'', ''poison'', ''gates'', ''tags'', ''flicks'', are not listed by the Opies although they speculated that both ''bags'' and ''tags'' may derive from ''pax''.


United States

In a study undertaken by historians Mary and Herbert Knapp in the 1970s, informants remembering terms from the 1930s reported ''kings X'' and ''kings''. The use of ''kings X'' before the 1930s is well-recorded. The 1985 edition of the '' Dictionary of American Regional English'' records the historical use of ''kings ex'', ''kings sax'', ''kings cruse'', ''kings excuse'' and ''kings'', chiefly west of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
, the Gulf States and
Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...
. The earliest recorded use cited in the dictionary is of ''kings cruse'' in 1778 during an adult fight. Scholarly speculation in the late nineteenth century postulated that ''kings X'' derived from ''kings truce'', rendered as ''kings cruse'' and then ''kings excuse'', becoming ''kings X'' as a shortened form. The ''Dictionary of American Regional English'' cites the Opies as a source for the derivation of the terms and states that ''exes'' probably refers to the use of crossed fingers, an important part of the demand for a truce, rather than deriving from "excuse" as originally thought. However, the Knapps state that although the Opies do not record ''kings X'' as such in the UK, they do record ''kings'', ''crosses'', ''exes'', ''cruse'' and ''truce''. They conclude that ''kings X'' derived from the users of ''kings'' and ''exes'' settling in the same areas of the US—the terms were then combined and shortened. ''Kings cruse'', once popular in the US, might be accounted for in a similar manner. ''Barley'' has been recorded as a truce term in
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, and
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. The Knapps study in
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, found ''time-out'' and ''times'' to be by far the most prevalent terms in the 1970s. Variations included ''I've got times'' and ''time''. Very few children reported the more traditional ''kings'', ''queens'' or ''I've got kings X''. The authors also reported that these terms were popular over many areas of the US and in American schools abroad. To be functional a truce term must be understood and honoured by most of the children playing together. ''Time-out'' clearly derives from the use of intermissions in timed sports and apparently came into the language with the popularization of organized or timed sports and with the advent of such sports in elementary schools and on television. Historically the earliest reports for the use of ''time-out'' or ''time'' as a truce term were 1935 and 1936. However, only a small number of respondents reported anything other than ''time-out'' and its derivatives in use during the 1960s. The few alternatives included ''pax'', ''safe'', ''base'' or ''home-base'' and ''freeze'' with one small area of ''fins'' (
Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
). The Knapps reported that ''time-out'' had, since the 1950s, supplanted ''kings ex'' as the most popular truce term. The use of ''times'' rather than ''time-out'' and ''I've got times'' rather than ''I call time'' appears to have been influenced by older forms such as ''kings'' and ''I've got kings X''. There was also one report of ''times X''. Similarly derivatives of ''time-out'' are often accompanied by the traditional crossed fingers.


France

In
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
children use the word as the equivalent of the English ''pax'' and the American ''time-out''. The literal translation of is
thumb The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for thumb ...
or
big toe Toes are the digits (fingers) of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being '' digitigrade''. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being '' pl ...
. "Lu !" is -- or was -- a common truce term in Châteauroux, central France, in the fifties and sixties.


Gestures

The Opies found that in England and Wales children usually held up
crossed fingers To cross one's fingers is a hand gesture commonly used to wish for luck. Occasionally it is interpreted as an attempt to implore God for protection.''Orange Coast Magazine''. Emmis Communications. May 1990. pg. 177. "In early Christian days, a ...
. Sometimes crossing the fingers of both hands was required and occasionally the feet as well. The Opies found one area,
Headington Headington is an eastern suburb of Oxford, England. It is at the top of Headington Hill overlooking the city in the Thames valley below, and bordering Marston to the north-west, Cowley to the south, and Barton and Risinghurst to the east. Th ...
, where sitting cross-legged was required. At
Lydney Lydney is a town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is on the west bank of the River Severn in the Forest of Dean District, and is 16 miles (25 km) southwest of Gloucester. The town has been bypassed by the A48 road since 1995 ...
, children could raise their right hand palm forward, whilst in
Bradford-on-Avon Bradford-on-Avon (sometimes Bradford on Avon or Bradford upon Avon) is a town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England, near the border with Somerset, which had a population of 9,402 at the 2011 census. The town's canal, historic buildings, s ...
the hand was held up with three fingers extended. In some parts of Scotland the custom was to put up one's thumbs, sometimes licking them first. This also occurred in a few places in
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
. Anecdotally, the raising of a thumb may also accompany the use of in France. The 1988 Croydon study found a variety of gestures in common use. These were crossed fingers of one hand (44%), crossed fingers of both hands (26%), thumbs through fingers (6%) (boys only) and arms crossed across the chest (2%). Other gestures, reported in ones and twos, included miming an injection into the arm, licking the thumb, making a T-shape with the hands, three fingers held up and the "Vulcan" sign from
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
. Virtually all schools reported the use of crossed fingers. The holding up of one hand with middle and index fingers crossed was the usual gesture found in New Zealand in 1999–2001. The T-shape was also used when saying ''time-out''. The time-out gesture is made with two hands – one hand held horizontally, palm down, the other hand vertically with the fingertips touching the bottom of the horizontal hand. In the US, although the more modern ''time-out'' has largely supplanted traditional terms, often accompanied by the time-out gesture, the crossed fingers gesture remains common.


See also

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Iona and Peter Opie Iona Margaret Balfour Opie, (13 October 1923 – 23 October 2017) and Peter Mason Opie (25 November 1918 – 5 February 1982) were an English married team of folklorists who applied modern techniques to understanding children's literature and ...
*
Olly olly oxen free "Olly olly oxen free" is a catchphrase or truce term used in children's games such as Hide-and-seek, 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; that ...
*
Children's street culture Children's street culture refers to the cumulative culture created by young children. Collectively, this body of knowledge is passed down from one generation of urban children to the next, and can also be passed between different groups of chi ...
*
Folkloristics Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Truce Term Slang Sociolinguistics Language varieties and styles Childhood Cultural geography Children's street culture