1891. WRENCH, _Winchester Word-Book_, s.v. BOOKS. It has been
suggested that this phrase arose from the school having originally to
go up to the Donatus—the one book which College boasted; and an entry
is extant of a three days’ remedy being entailed by the book going to
be bound. The pluralization would be no more than an ordinary
Wykehamical inflection.... The following mysterious use of _Libri_,
however, suggests a much more probable origin. CHRIS. JOHNSON says:
“_Seu Chandlerus erat, seu Custos ordine primus, Durus ab inductis
dicitur esse LIBRIS!_” To which a contemporaneous note is appended:
“_Lectionum a cæna repetitiones instituisse creditur, quas Wiccamici
materna lingua Libros dicunt._” What these “repetitiones” were is not
clear; but they were some form of lesson which præ-Elizabethan
Wykehamists had christened BOOKS in their _materna lingua_, and
Johnson’s annotator thought the word strange enough to deserve a note.
We may, therefore, very possibly be only perpetuating this word in our
use of UP TO BOOKS.
BOOKS CHAMBERS.—Explained by quotations.
_c._ 1840. MANSFIELD, _School-Life at Winchester College_, p. 103. On
Remedies (a kind of whole holiday) we also went into school in the
morning and afternoon for an hour or two without masters; this was
called BOOKS CHAMBERS; and on Sundays, from four till a quarter to
five.
1891. WRENCH, _Winchester Word-Book_, s.v. BOOKS-CHAMBERS. Hours of
preparation in College: in the evening called Toy-time.
TO GET (or MAKE) BOOKS.—To get the first place, or to make
the highest score at anything. _Cf._ BOOKS, sense 1.
*Bookwork*, _subs._ (University).—Mathematics that can be
learned _verbatim_ from books—anything not a problem.
*Boots-and-Leathers*, _intj._ (Winchester).—_See_ PEAL.
*Bostruchyzer*, _subs._ (Oxford: obsolete).—A small comb for
curling the whiskers.—HOTTEN.
*Botany-bay*, _subs._ (University).—(1) Worcester College,
Oxford; and (2) part of Trinity College, Dublin. [On account
of their remote situations.]
1841. LEVER, _Charles O’Malley_, xx. note. BOTANY BAY was the slang
name given by college men to a new square rather remotely situated
from the remainder of the college [_i.e._ Trinity, Dublin].
1853. Rev. E. BRADLEY (“Cuthbert Bede”), _Adventures of Verdant
Green_, i. p. 63. BOTANY-BAY, a name given to Worcester College, from
its being the most distant college.
1886. GRAVES, _Way about Oxfordshire_, 19. At the end is Worcester
College (1714), from its remote position dubbed ... BOTANY-BAY, but
called by those who wish to speak endearingly of it “Wuggins.”
1900. _Athenæum_, 17th Feb., 208. BOTANY-BAY is often found as
strangely misapplied as the “Paradise” of so many rows. For instance,
the “Quad” of Trinity College, Dublin, which has been so called for
generations, can hardly have ever been remarkable for its flora. The
probable explanation is that its buildings were old and uncomfortable,
and it was the favourite abode of the youngest and noisiest members of
the University.
*Botolph’s*, _subs._ (The Leys).—A “Run” to St. Botolph’s
Church.
*Bottle*, _verb_ (Durham: obsolete).—To make hot: _e.g._ I got
regularly BOTTLED in that room; specifically, “to roast” a
boy before a fire. _See_ Appendix.
*Bottled.* TO BE BOTTLED, _verb. phr._ (Sherborne).—To be turned
in work.
*Bottom-side*, _subs._ (Harrow).—A wing: at football. The lower
wing (if one be lower than the other); as a rule the one
farthest from the hill.
*Boule*, _subs._ (Charterhouse).—A general confab or
conversation. _See_ PRIVEE.
1900. TOD, _Charterhouse_, 82. There was a BOULE (βουλή) once in the
Sixth Form of 1872 as to what a monitor should do if he were thus
insulted [by a visit of a master to Banco].
*Bounce.* FIRST BOUNCE, _subs._ (Stonyhurst).—A goal (which is
never allowed) taken by a “drop-kick” at football.
SECOND BOUNCE, _subs._ (Stonyhurst: obsolete).—A kind of
HANDBALL (_q.v._) once very popular.
1887. _Stonyhurst Mag._, July, p. 18, “Stonyhurst in the Fifties.”
SECOND BOUNCE, a variety of handball played with small balls most
artistically made of strips of indiarubber, and covered with the best
kid-leather. These balls had to be taken to pieces and remade after
every match, and they had to be quite freshly made when used. Their
seams required to be frequently rubbed over with wax, some of which
was always smeared on the handball wall for the purpose. For a game of
SECOND BOUNCE a whole side of one of the big handballs was required,
and it was played by eight players, four a side. The “over-all” of
ordinary handball was the “over line,” and the bulk of the players
stood out yards beyond it. He whose “hand” it was bounced the ball,
and with a long strong swing of his arm hit it up against the wall,
whence with a sharp smack it rebounded high in the air and far out
into the ground. As it descended one of the opposite party stopped it
with his hand and let it BOUNCE twice on the ground, the FIRST BOUNCE
being, as a rule, too high to let him strike it, and then with a
similar swing hit it up again. The rules, except as to permitting the
ball to be taken up at the SECOND BOUNCE, were similar to those of
handball. Balls perished quickly in such a game, nearly a dozen being
required for one. SECOND BOUNCE used chiefly to be played on Sunday
afternoon, after Vespers, and almost all not engaged in the game would
range themselves on the flanks to watch.
*Bounder*, _subs._ (University).—A dog-cart.
*Bounds*, _subs._ (general).—The limit or the boundaries beyond
which it is not permissible to go.
ON BOUNDS (Stonyhurst).—A punishment to which a boy who has
been flagrantly “out of bounds” (the term as in other Public
Schools) is subjected. He is confined during ordinary
recreations to a very limited portion of the playground.
Such a boy is said to be “put ON BOUNDS.”
*Bowing-round Sunday*, _subs. phr._ (Christ’s Hospital).—_See_
PUBLIC-SUPPING.
1854. “Our Rebellion” [_The Blue_ (1871) July]. Next day was
BOWING-ROUND SUNDAY. “Hand down, don’t bow,” was the signal that
passed down our ranks as we stood in the Hall Cloisters, and many were
the black looks, but few the nods of reverence, our Treasurer and his
two attendant governors got that morning.
*Bowl*, _verb._ 1. (general).—To master; to succeed: as in a
paper, a lesson, an examination, &c.; to overcome: as a
difficulty, an examiner, &c. _See_ FLOOR and THROW.
1891. _Harry Fludyer at Cambridge_, 55. My Coach says he thinks I
shall BOWL over the Examiners next term in the General.
2. (Winchester).—To “pluck” or “plough” up to books; TO
CROPPLE (_q.v._).
*Box*, _verb._ 1. (Westminster).—To take possession of; “to
bag.”
2. (Stonyhurst).—To strike a ball with the closed hand when
in the air. _See_ STONYHURST-FOOTBALL.
3. (Charterhouse).—Of books: if a member of a House Library
Committee finds a library book lying about, he calls out the
name of the book three times at the top of his voice, and
adds, “BOXED!” The boy who has taken out the book thus BOXED
is fined sixpence, saving the fine if he shouts “Mine!”
before the word of confiscation is uttered.
*Box-buildings*, _subs._ (Sherborne: obsolete).—The Sanatorium:
in the seventeenth century called SICK-HOUSE (_q.v._), and
subsequently BOX-BUILDINGS. These buildings were pulled down
in 1850 and the name disappeared.
*Boy*, _subs._ (Harrow).—A grade of fag. The Lower School are
put ON BOY, in turns, to go messages, &c., for the Sixth
Form. _See_ Appendix.
*Brasenose* (or *B. N. C.*), _subs._ (Oxford).—Brasenose
College. [Founded in 1509 on the site of four ancient
Halls—Little University Hall was one, another being
Brasenose Hall (thirteenth century). Authorities differ as
to the origin of the curious name. _See_ quots.]
1512. _Charter of Henry VIII._ The King’s Hall and College of
BRASENOSE.
1800. CHURTON, _Life of Bishop Smith_, 227. Brazen Nose Hall, as the
Oxford antiquary has shown, may be traced as far back as the time of
Henry III., about the middle of the thirteenth century; and early in
the succeeding reign, 6 Edward I., 1278, it was known by the name of
Brasen Nose Hall, which peculiar name was undoubtedly owing, as the
same author observes, to the circumstance of a nose of brass affixed
to the gate. It is presumed, however, that this conspicuous appendage
of the portal was not formed of the mixed metal which the word now
denotes, but the genuine produce of the mine; as is the nose, or
rather face, of a lion or leopard still remaining at Stamford, which
also gave name to the edifice it adorned. And hence, when Henry VIII.
debased the coin by an alloy of _copper_, it was a common remark or
proverb, that “Testons were gone to Oxford, to study in _Brasen_
Nose.”
1837. INGRAM, _Memorials of Oxford_. BRASENOSE.... This curious
appellation, which, whatever was the origin of it, has been
perpetuated by the symbol of a brazen nose here and at Stamford,
occurs with the modern orthography, but in one undivided word, so
early as 1278, in an inquisition now printed in _The Hundred Rolls_,
though quoted by Wood from the manuscript record.
1837. _British Critic_, xxiv. 139. There is a spot in the centre of
the city where Alfred is said to have lived. BRASENOSE claims his
palace, Oriel his church, and University his school or academy. Of
these BRASENOSE is still called “the King’s Hall,” which is the name
by which Alfred himself, in his laws, calls his palace; and it has its
present singular name from a corruption of _brasinium_, or
_brasin-huse_, as having been originally located in that part of the
royal mansion which was devoted to the then important accommodation of
a brew-house.
1898. ALDEN, _Oxford Guide_, 52. Brasenose Hall (thirteenth century)
is said to have derived the name from its occupying the site of a
_brasen-hus_ or brewhouse. Over the old entrance-gate is the
representation of a _brazen nose_, probably added at a much later
date, when punning rebuses of this kind were in fashion.
*Brasser*, _subs._ (Christ’s Hospital: obsolete).—A bully.
*Bread-and-beer*, _subs. phr._ (Stonyhurst).—The name given to
the snack which boys may take at five o’clock.
*Bread-boy*, _subs._ (Christ’s Hospital).—_See_ quot.
1798. Narrative “Christ’s Hospital, Three quarters of a Century ago”
[_Chelmsford Chronicle_ (1875), Ap. 16]. The breakfast-bell rang about
seven, when we all went into the hall, the nurses following, with boys
from each ward (called BREAD-BOYS) carrying large baskets on their
shoulders containing bread, which were taken to the head of each
table, where stood the nurse, who, after “grace,” went down the table,
serving out to each boy half of a twopenny loaf of bread. “Well,”
you’ll say, “but where’s the butter?” None was allowed—nothing but
bare bread. Those who had been sparing over night to save a portion of
the small piece of cheese they had for their supper, pulled it out of
their pockets. Sometimes a great fellow would make a little boy always
supply him with cheese of mornings, out of the piece the poor fellow
had had for his supper the night previous. Beer we had certainly,
served out in wooden vessels of an extraordinary shape, called
“piggins”; about six of them for four boys to drink out of, but such
beer! The piggins were seldom replenished, for we could not drink it.
We used to call it “the washings of the brewers’ aprons.”
1900. _Pall Mall Gazette_, 20th March, 3. 2. “A Lenten Supper.” Last
of all the BREAD-BOY hoists the tall bread-basket shoulder high and
bows round with it, never failing to raise a laugh as well as a
basket.
*Bread-picker*, _subs._ (Winchester: obsolete).—A Junior
appointed by the four senior Præfects in Commoners: at one
time to put candles in outhouses; but formerly the word is
supposed to relate to the duty of securing bread when served
out. The office exempted from fagging at meal times.
*Brekker*, _subs._ (Harrow).—Breakfast.
1898. _Stonyhurst Mag._, Dec., p. 149, “Life at Oxford.” Each
undergraduate has two rooms, a bedroom and a sitting-room. In these he
lives, studies, and, with the exception of evening dinner in the Hall,
has his meals. He is thus able to entertain. The fashionable meal to
which to invite a friend is breakfast, or vernacularly BREKKER.
*Brew*, _verb._ 1. (Marlborough).—To make afternoon tea.