Talk:take one's ball and go home

Tea room discussion
What does this phrase mean?? I've heard it being used several times, but can't work out what it means. If anyone knows that would be helpful, I can add it in the ball article, where it's relevant. AC --Sunstar NW XP 01:07, 10 January 2009 (UTC)


 * The action is an assertion of one's power to get out of a situation that has turned to one's disadvantage. From the point of view of others engaged in the game so brought to an end it might be seen as an act of selfishness. I'm not 100% sure it merits inclusion as a separate entry. Perhaps you can find a quotation to place at the appropriate figurative sense of ball (which might well be missing). DCDuring Holiday Greetings! 20:48, 10 January 2009 (UTC)


 * I think take one's ball and go home deserves an entry. It's one I hear often enough and which is highly idiomatic. --EncycloPetey 20:48, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Alternative forms
I’m not sure of the proper format for including these, but the expression is often heard as either “take one’s bat and ball and go home” or “take one’s ball and bat and go home”. (The first “and” in each is sometimes written as an ampersand.) What are the conventions regarding provision of alternate forms in a main entry or creation of redirection pages pointing to it? —Odysseus1479 (talk) 19:11, 22 September 2012 (UTC)