*English*, _subs._ (Winchester).—A translation; an adventitious
aid to study; a crib.
*Ensign* (Eton).—_See_ MONTEM.
*Enterta*, _subs._ (Charterhouse).—An entertainment.
*-er*, _inseparable suffix_ (Harrow).
*Erasmus.* GREAT (or LITTLE) ERASMUS FORM, _subs. phr._
(Christ’s Hospital).—_See_ quot.
1834. TROLLOPE, _History of Christ’s Hospital_. THE GREAT AND LITTLE
ERASMUS FORMS get their respectable and respective titles from the
fact that their tenants in old time studied the larger and smaller
Colloquies of the learned Erasmus.
1870-95. _More Gleanings from_ THE BLUE, 191. THE GREAT ERASMUS.—The
origin of a name is seldom what one thinks it ought to be. Those of us
who rejoice in being able to write after our names the mystic letters,
L.E._x._, L.E._y._, L.E._z._, are distinguished from our less
fortunate neighbours by the lightning fluency with which we are able
to talk secrets in Greek. ERASMUS is a Greek word, and the Dutchman,
thanks to a visit to Oxford, became so great a scholar in Greek, that
he was appointed first Regius Professor of Greek in the University of
Cambridge.... Unfortunately, this is all wrong as far as the LITTLE
ERAS. are concerned, for they were not called ERAS. because they knew
Greek, but because they read Latin.... Erasmus did a kindness to
Christ’s Hospital long after his death in having written a number of
“Colloquies,” conversations between typical characters of his day, in
clear and faultless Latin.
*Ewe-lamb*, _subs._ (The Leys).—A school hour in which a Master
or Prefect has no appointed lesson.
*Ex*, _subs._ (Harrow).—(1) An exercise of any sort; and (2) an
EXEAT (_q.v._). Also (Charterhouse) in sense 2, but _not_
EXTRA, sense 3 (_q.v._).
*Ex-Course-keeper*, _subs._ (Winchester).—_See_ COURSE-KEEPER.
*Exeat*, _subs._ 1. (general).—Written permission to go away
from School or College either at the end or during the term
for a longer period than a day. _Cf._ ABSIT.
1886. DICKENS, _Dict. of Cambridge_, 3. No undergraduate should go
down without obtaining his EXEAT.
2. (Charterhouse).—An interval in the middle of each of the
three terms of the school year; it was instituted so that
there might be no leaving at odd times. It lasts from noon
on Saturday to 6.45 P.M. on the following Monday. Formerly
Upper School had a GOING-OUT SATURDAY every week, and the
Under School one every other week, and leave lasted from
noon on Saturday till Sunday evening chapel. Also at Harrow
a similar term of leave.
*Exercises*, _subs._ (Sherborne: obsolete).—Ordinary Form
lessons, not merely written work: seventeenth century.
*Explain.* DON’T EXPLAIN! _intj._ (The Leys).—An injunction to
silence; “Shut up!”
*Extra*, _subs._ (Harrow).—1. Extra school on Tuesdays, when
those SENT (_q.v._) copy out Latin grammar for two hours and
a half: an extreme punishment.
2. (Harrow).—An extra day’s BOY (_q.v._): given to those who
CUT (_q.v._) when “on boy.”
3. (Charterhouse).—Extra school: it lasts from 2 to 4 every
Wednesday afternoon. The ways of procuring admission to it
are various: to neglect a REP (_q.v._) or a “construe,” to
be late for anything, to make a noise in the cubicles, to
come into school in slippers, or any misdemeanour leads to a
boy being “down for EXTRA.” The entries are kept in ... THE
BLACK BOOK. EXTRA school is for offences committed during
the first part of the week. There is also EXTRA drill on
Saturdays in Scholars’ Court, which lasts half the time of
EXTRA school, and which is much more disliked, for offences
committed between a Thursday and a Saturday.
*Extra Drill*, _subs._ (The Leys).—Imposed by way of punishment.
*Ex Trumps*, _adv. phr._ (Winchester).—Extempore. TO GO UP TO
BOOKS EX TRUMPS = to go to class without preparing one’s
lesson.
*Fag*, _subs._ 1. (general).—A boy who does menial work for a
schoolfellow in a higher Form. [From FAG, to grow weary.]
_c._ 1840. MANSFIELD, _School-Life at Winchester_ (1866), 37. The
duties of a FAG, in the days of which I write, may be more easily
described by informing the reader what he had not to do, than by
endeavouring to make out a list of his positive duties. I believe when
I say that he had not to make the beds, nor to clean shoes, I have
exhausted the negative catalogue.
1855. THACKERAY, _Newcomes_, ch. xviii. Bob Trotter, the diminutive
FAG of the studio, who ran on all the young men’s errands, and fetched
them in apples, oranges, and walnuts.
1856. HUGHES, _Tom Brown’s School-days_, vii. These were the principal
duties of the FAGS in the house. From supper until nine o’clock three
FAGS taken in order stood in the passages, and answered any præposter
who called “Fag,” racing to the door, the last comer having to do the
work. This consisted generally of going to the buttery for beer and
bread and cheese (for the great men did not sup with the rest, but had
each his own allowance in his study or the fifth-form room), cleaning
candlesticks and putting in new candles, toasting cheese, bottling
beer, and carrying messages about the house.... And besides this
nightwork, each præpostor had three or four fags specially allotted to
him, of whom he was supposed to be the guide, philosopher, and friend,
and who in return for these good offices had to clean out his study
every morning by turns, directly after first lesson and before he
returned from breakfast.
1857. G. A. LAWRENCE, _Guy Livingstone_, ch. i. Is still enumerated
among the feats of the brave days of old, by the FAGS over their
evening small beer.