Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

[chrisredditch]

When I was living in South Essex the playground term for crossed fingers was "Fay-Nites!".
I then went to school in Herts and it became "Sqibs!"
Lastly, I ended up in Worcestershire where it became "Barley!"
My Scottish wife says in Ayrshire they said "Keys!"

Any other terms of crossed fingered immunity from the terrors of being tagged??

[Richard1978]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

When I was at primary school in Marple Barley was the "safe zone" for many games, inluding British Bulldogs.

The Opies collected up lots of these sayings over the years.

[Danny]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

" I'm 'skinch' look! my fingers were crossed "

[Heather74]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

We didn't really cross fingers, just touched a wall, railings, stood on a step or touched a lamp post(when in the street) and shouted "Den", I''m on den"

Edit- I very vaguely remember doing it and saying "crossed keys" now I think about it

[Kiop]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

I don't ever recall a way of being exempt from being 'tagged', and I certainly don't know any terms for crossed fingers.

[kazboot]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

Now as a kid in Luton, it was always 'Feignites' and that is how I spelt it.
I notice you spell it differently, Chris. So I wonder what it means and how it is spelt correctly.

[Heather74]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

Here you go Kaz

fain (fen, to forbid) - Chiefly [Brit] School slang, orig. dial.
Used in the expression fains or fain(s) I, fain it, fainit(e)s:

‘Fains’, or ‘Fain it’{em}A term demanding a ‘truce’ during the progress of any game, which is always granted by the opposing party. Ibid. 517/1 A boy who had ‘killed’ another at marbles, that is hit his marble, would call out ‘Fain it’, meaning ‘You mustn't shoot at me in return’; or if a boy was going to shoot, and some inequality of surface was in his way, which he would have cleared away, his antagonist would prevent him by calling out ‘Fain clears’. Ibid. 517/2 If a prefect wants anything fetched for him and does not say by whom, those who wish to get off going say ‘Fain I’. 1889 BARRÈRE & LELAND Dict. Slang, Faints [sic], in vogue among schoolboys to express a wish temporarily to withdraw from participation in the particular sport or game being played. 1891 FARMER Slang, Fains! Fainits! Fain it! 1913 C. MACKENZIE Sinister St. I. I. vii. 103 He could shout ‘fain I’ to be rid of an obligation and ‘bags I’ to secure an advantage. 1927 W. E. COLLINSON Contemp. English 14 The custom of putting oneself out of the game altogether by crossing the fingers and saying pax! or faynights! [feinaits] or both together. 1948 J. BETJEMAN Coll. Poems (1958) 150 ‘I'd rather not.’ ‘Fains I.’ ‘It's up to you.’ 1960 Guardian 1 July 9/7 The Englishman..could remain absolutely pax and fainites. 1969 I. & P. OPIE Children's Games i. 18 This rule is so embedded in children's minds that their immediate response to the proposal of a game is to cry out..‘Me fains first’. Ibid., He must safeguard himself by saying in one gulp, ‘Let's-play-Tig-fains-I-be-on-it’.

taken from
http://wordsmith.org/board/ubbthread...401/Fay_Nights

Most folk seem to spell it your way Kaz
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Phras...tion21570.html

[kazboot]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

That's some explanation!

They don't even seem to know how it is spelt!

[Kiop]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

I remember Del Boy using the term 'feignites' while his fingers were crossed in OFAH. Can't remember which episode it was in but he said it to defuse an argument he was having at the time with Rodney.

I'm pleased I know a little more about this term now as I didn't have a clue what he was on about - I just thought he was speaking German or something (instead of his usual French)

[chrisredditch]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

I spelt "Fay-nites" phonetically as it would give readers a chance on the pronounciation rather then the word. Feigning and deviations of feigning sound a good basis for the word.

I remember Del-Boy using it. Made me chuckle

[tulip]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

Don't remember crossing fingers.We usually did wet keys,and "heid,tail,heid tail,Ahm no playin!"

tulip

[kazboot]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

My husband reminded me of another word we used to use - 'Peeps'.

[The Low Country]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

When we crossed fingers we always used to call it 'kings' odd but true.

[HG]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

Was skinch for us

[The Low Country]

Re: Crossing Your Fingers - Immunity!!

Was skinch for us

But then again, I've just posted a new thread about shinty (school sports/PE games.) I must have gone to a very strange school as a nipper.