All's out's in free(Ollie Ollie oxen free) 1909

Sam Clements SClements at NEO.RR.COM
Sun Jun 12 20:27:46 UTC 2005


Barry found "Ollie" from 1949.  I wasn't looking for an antedating, but rather trying to find the earliest use of what must have been the original rhyme.

Not that this is the earliest use(it's the earliest I can find), but it's helpful as a dating--

Using Proquest,  from _The New York Times_  19 May, 1909, pg. 8

(A poem called "When Grandpa Plays")

>>He started to play hide and seek  <snip>
    Till Grandpa had to give it up and say, 
       "All's out's in free!"  <<

Sam Clements



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