Washington DC, in the 1950s, playing Hide and Seek (not Hide and Go Seek.) If a hider was able to get back to base without being caught by the seeker, he/she could holler "Free", and would be free for the rest of the game. On the other hand, he/she could holler "Olly Olly Oxen Free", which meant that not only was he/she free, but all of the other hiders were also free - in other words, the seeker had failed. I believe it was sometimes considered mean to yell "Olly Olly Oxen Free", since it didn't give the seeker a chance to find one of the other hiders. Don
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