Just wondering...

[azziria]

When you were young, and used to play catch (tag), did you have an off-limits area where you couldn't be caught, where you could go if you needed to catch your breath? And if you did, what did you call it?

We used to call it 'cree', which I'm now thinking might be a local dialect word from the West Country. Anyone else heard it/use it?

Comments

[firesignwriter.livejournal.com]

Where I grew up (Alabama and Florida), kids universally called it "safe." A game would be getting ready to start. Some poor panicked young'un who tired easily would jump in and say, with an edge of shrillness to his/her voice, "But where's safe?" And a tree, the side of a barn, the roof of a car or the top of a sandhill would be declared.

Though you were certainly frowned on if you proved wussy enough to stay at safe all the time.