<P> "Say' uncle'!" is a North American expression demanding that the opponent in a contest submits . The response "Uncle!" is equivalent to "I give up" and indicates submission . There are two theories as to the origin of the term; one relates to the Roman Empire when a bullied child would be forced to say "Patrue, mi Patruissimo," or, "Uncle, my best Uncle," in order to surrender; alternatively the expression may have originated in a 19th - century English joke about a bullied parrot . This use of this term is also very common in Arabian Peninsula countries "gol aami" "say uncle" "قول عمي". </P> <P> In the United States and Canada, the idiomatic expression "Say' uncle'!" may be used as an imperative command to demand submission of one's opponent, such as during an informal wrestling match . Similarly, the exclamation "Uncle!" is an indication of submission--analogous to "I give up"--or it may be a cry for mercy, in such a game or match . </P>

Where does the term cry uncle come from