1821. BYRON, _Don Juan_, c. iii., st. 126. And I grown out of many
“wooden spoons” Of verse (the name with which we CANTABS please To dub
the last of honours in degrees).
*Canvas*, _subs._ (Winchester).—_See_ quot.
1867. COLLINS, _The Public Schools_, p. 66. The Winchester football
game is peculiar. It is played in CANVAS, as it is called. A portion
of Meads, some 80 feet by 25, is marked off by screens of canvas on
each side, within which the game is played, the two open ends forming
the lines of goal, across which the ball is to be kicked. It is placed
in the middle of the ground to begin with, and a “hot” formed round it
by the players stooping down all close together, with their heads
down, and at a given signal trying to force the ball or each other
away. The canvas screens answer to the Rugby “line of touch”; when the
ball escapes over these it is returned into play by juniors stationed
for the purpose, and a hot is formed afresh.
TO GO ON THE CANVAS, _verb. phr._ (Manchester Grammar).—To
finish drill (dumb-bells, clubs, &c.), and do gymnastic
exercises on the ladder, bars, rings, and ropes. [The floor
beneath the latter was once covered with stuffed canvas; the
phrase is retained, though the canvas has given way to
mats.]
*Cap*, _subs._ 1. (Westminster).—The collection at Play and
Election dinners. [The College cap was passed round on the
last night of Play for contributions. _Cf._ “to send round
the cap.”]
1867. COLLINS, _The Public Schools_, p. 157. Queen Elizabeth seems to
have been present on at least one occasion, and to have contributed
liberally to the CAP, for she is recorded to have paid, in January
1564, the sum of £8, 6s. 8d. for certain plays by the grammar school
at Westminster and the children at Powle’s. A shout of “CAP, CAP!”
arises, and all available trenchers having been pressed into the
service, the captain distributes them amongst the Old Westminster
portion of the audience, who present substantial proofs of their
satisfaction. The sum collected in the CAP has frequently amounted to
above £200. After discharging all expenses of the play the surplus is
divided among the performers. But as these expenses have a natural
tendency to increase rather than diminish, while the number of old
Westminsters present is necessarily fewer than in the more prosperous
days of the school, the balance has of late been now and then on the
wrong side.
2. (Harrow).—A cap of House Colours, given by Captains of
House Cricket elevens to the House eleven, or to some of
them. The gift confers permanent membership. Hence, the
recipient of such a distinction. _See_ FEZ.
1890. _Great Public Schools_, 94. Second Eleven matches are played
between the various Houses, and a challenge cup is presented at the
end of the term to the best house. No CAP may play in these matches.
3. (Rugby).—Each House had [1871] two CAPS, one the football
cap and the other the house-cap. The former was a sign of
distinction, and worn only by the few boys in the school to
whom it had been given.... If a boy distinguished himself in
cricket, he was allowed to wear a red band; or, as a higher
distinction, a blue band.... Distinctions might be varied in
all manner of ways according as a boy had won his red or his
blue band, his flannels, or his cap.... CAPS are now (1890)
given by the head of the School Fifteen. After the CAPS come
the FLANNELS (_q.v._), and then come the players without
distinction. The CAPS and FLANNELS in each House go to make
up the House Fifteen; the FLANNELS, without the CAPS, go to
make up the second fifteen in each House, which is called
BELOW CAPS, or for brevity, BELOW. The next fifteen in each
House are called TWO BELOWS, and so on, though it rarely
happens that a House has more BELOWS than two.—LEES KNOWLES.
_Verb_ (general).—To take off or touch one’s hat in
salutation: also TO CAP TO and TO CAP IT.
1593. H. SMITH, _Scrm._ (1871), i. 203. How would they CAP me were I
in velvets.
1803. _Gradus ad Cantabrigiam_, p. 23, _s.v._ BORE. Other bores are to
attend a sermon at St. Mary’s on Sunday ... TO CAP a fellow.
*Captain of Election*, _subs._ (Westminster).—_See_ quot.
1867. COLLINS, _The Public Schools_, p. 183. The CAPTAIN OF
ELECTION—the boy who gains first place—has the privilege of being
almost entirely exempted from the fagging incidental to his junior
year, and has his name painted on the election board in gold letters.
These tablets, fixed up in the dormitory, go back as far as 1629; and
among the names of the CAPTAINS, besides Lord Mansfield, as already
mentioned, may be read those of Markman, Warren Hastings, Cyril
Jackson and his brother the bishop, Randolph (Bishop), Abbot
(Speaker), Longley, &c.
*Captain of the Boats*, _subs. phr._ (Eton).—_See_ quot.
1865. _Etoniana_, p. 164. The CAPTAIN OF THE BOATS is perhaps the
greatest person in the school next to the head-master—if, indeed, he
does not rival that great authority in the estimation of the boys. The
whole regulation of the boats, both as to the selection of the crew of
the racing “eight,” and of the CAPTAINS of the several boats which
form the Fourth of June procession, rests entirely with him; and as he
has a great deal of this kind of patronage at his disposal, his
influence is very considerable. The boat crews are in some sort looked
upon as the aristocracy of the school, and for this reason the
position is an object of social ambition amongst the boys.
*Cargo*, _subs._ (Winchester).—A hamper from home. The word is
still in use.
_c._ 1840. MANSFIELD, _School-Life at Winchester College_, p. 77. The
boys, eager for breakfast, tumultuously rushed out from school-court
... to see if Poole, the porter, had letters, or, what was even more
delightful, a CARGO (a hamper of game or eatables from home).
1881. PASCOE, _Every-day Life in our Public Schools_. Scholars may
supplement their fare with jam, potted meats, ... or, better still,
from the contents of CARGOES, _i.e._ hampers from home.
*Cart*, _verb_ (University).—To defeat: in a match, a fight, an
examination, a race, &c. “We CARTED them home” = we gave
them an awful licking.
*Case*, _subs._ (Westminster).—The discussion by Seniors and
Upper Election preceding a TANNING (_q.v._), and the tanning
itself.
*Cathedral*, _subs._ (Winchester).—A silk hat. [Because worn
when going to Cathedral.]
*Cat-and-cartridge*, _subs._ (The Leys).—Rabbit (or chicken)
with sausage.
*Cat’s*, _subs._ (University).—St. Catharine’s Hall. Hence
CAT’S-MEN = members of St. Catharine’s Hall.
_Intj._ (Royal High School, Edin.: obsolete).—The II^{nd}
Class. [Formerly it used to be a custom for the II^{nd}
class to pursue the I^{st} shouting “Gaits! Gaits!
Gai-ai-aits,” to which they replied, “CATS! CATS! Caa-ats!”]
_See_ DOGS.
*Cat’s Head*, _subs._ (Winchester: obsolete).—The end of a
shoulder of mutton.
_c._ 1840. MANSFIELD, _School-Life at Winchester College_, p. 84. His
meal [dinner] took place at six o’clock P.M. in College (in Commoners’
it was at _one_); it was ample in quantity, and excellent in quality.
That of the Præfects was nicely served in joints, that of the
Inferiors was divided into portions (Dispars); there were, if I
remember rightly, six of these to a shoulder, and eight to a leg of
mutton, the other joints being divided in like proportion. All these
“Dispars” had different names; the thick slice out of the centre was
called “a Middle Cut,” that out of the shoulder a “Fleshy,” the ribs
“Racks,” the loin “Long Dispars”; these were the best, the more
indifferent were the end of the shoulder, or CAT’S HEAD, the breast,
or “Fat Flab,” &c. &c.
*Cat’s-skin*, _subs._ (Rugby).—1. _See_ quot.
1856. HUGHES, _Tom Brown’s School-days_, v. His go-to-meeting roof, as
his new friend called it. But this didn’t quite suit his fastidious
taste in another minute, being too shiny; so, as they walk up the
town, they dive into Nixon’s the hatter’s, and Tom is arrayed, to his
utter astonishment, and without paying for it, in a regulation
CAT-SKIN at seven-and-sixpence.