Truce terms

Truce terms are words or short phrases accepted within a community of children as an effective way of calling for a temporary respite or truce during a game or activity, if, for example, a child has a stitch or wants to raise a point on the rules of the game. Common examples are "barley", "fainites" and "kings" accompanied by the crossing of fingers on one or both hands. Traditionally these terms are specific to certain geographical areas except amongst private school children where "pax" has been in more general use. The most extensive study of the use and incidence of these terms was undertaken by Iona and Peter Opie in their 1959 book, "The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren" citebook|author=Opie I and Opie P |title=The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren |year=1959|location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University press |pages=141–153 |isbn=0-940322-69-2] although there have been some subsequent local studies. More recently, use of the USA hand gesture for "time out" has been recorded in the UK, involving the making of a letter "T" using both hands.

Use

Recorded incidents of use of truce terms are; being out of breath, a stitch, undone shoelace, fear of clothes being damaged, needing to go to the lavatory, checking the time, wanting to discuss or clarify rules and during a fight when one combatant wants to remove their spectacles or jacket before continuing.

Variations

The word a child uses varies according to which part of Britain he lives. In some places more than one term is current and occasionally 4 or 5 will be known although usually only one term is predominant. However, some schools on borders between areas using different terms will honour both. The words used in urban areas are often at odds with words used in the surrounding countryside.

In England and Wales children usually also hold up crossed fingers. Sometimes crossing the fingers of both hands is required and occasionally the feet as well. The Opies found one area, Headington, where sitting cross legged was required. At Lydney, a child could raise their right hand palm forward, whilst in Bradford-on-Avon the hand was held up with three fingers extended.

In some parts of Scotland the custom is to put up ones thumbs, sometimes licking them first. This also occurs in a few places in Lancashire. In central Scotland, children commonly use the word "peas" or "peasis" as the "pax" word.

ee also

*Peter and Iona Opie
*Children's street culture
*Folkloristics

References