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Re:Childhood phrase

Posted by ESC on August 30, 2000

In Reply to: Re:Childhood phrase posted by Bob on August 29, 2000

: : : Can anyone help with word/phrase "Feigh-nites" - "Fey-knights" or any other spelling - Phrase used when we were children to interrupt a game - any ideas??

: :
: : Here's what the Cassell Dictionary of Slang says:
: :
: : fains!/fains I!/fain I!/fainits!

: : excl. [mid-19C+) (juv.) a call for a truce during a game, or a statement that one is ineligible for a given duty or command. (SE fen: to forbid, ult. ? f. fend, forbid)

: When I was growing up (in New York, during the last ice age) it was "fins!" and I never did understand the origin of that.

Gee. You all were really classy. We just yelled, "Time!"