Definition of hosey

< hoser

hosiery >

ho·sey    (hz) KEY 

intr.v.
New England ho·seyed, ho·sey·ing, ho·seys

To choose sides for a children's game.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Perhaps from French (je) choisis, (I) choose, first person sing. present of choisir, to choose, from Old French ; see choice
Regional Note:
Children in New England, especially in the Boston area, use the expression I hosey when they are choosing sides for a game. The Boston Globe asked readers about it in late 1987 and received responses from Boston; Belmont, Massachusetts; New Hampshire; and Maine. Its users agree that it is a children's expression but are unsure of its originsome think that it derives from a pronunciation of choose with a heavy Irish brogue. Another possible origin of the expression is French-Canadian choisir, "to choose."