Expression used on slave plantations to describe the close family feelings that many slaves had for each other even though they were not members of the same biological family. These feelings probably grew from incidents where the mother or father of a child would be sold away to another plantation, or the child would be sold. A child who had lost his parents would find him or herself under the guidance and protection, as much as could be expected under the repressive institution of slavery, of older slaves whom he would call "Uncle" or "Auntie." Although this term may have been coined by a sarcastic overseer of slaves wishing to make fun of the practice of adult slaves taking under their wing abandoned slave children, the last laugh must be at that overseer's expense, because this term is indicative of the lengths to which slaves would go to provide and protect each other from the abuses of the "peculiar institution."