*Stedman promo*, _subs._ (Charterhouse).—An unexpected (and
probably undeserved) promotion. [Because announced in the
lists printed by Mr. R. B. Stedman, the school bookseller at
Godalming.]
*-ster*, _inseparable suffix_ (Winchester).—The termination
agent: as Brockster, Mugster, Thokester, Quilster, &c.
*Stew*, _verb_ (Stonyhurst).—To study. Whence STEW-POT = a hard
student.
*St. George*, _subs._ (Eton).—_See_ FOURTH OF JUNE.
1891. _Harry Fludyer_, 120. Well, about the boat procession. It went
off splendid. You know I’m in the ST. GEORGE, and Forker Major—a great
heavy brute—is our captain, and Tipkins is steerer.
*Sticking-up*, _subs._ (Winchester).—_See_ quot.
_c._ 1840. MANSFIELD, _School-Life at Winchester_ (1866), 236.
STICKING-UP.—On the last three Fridays of each Half, a boy was
selected by appointment of Commoner Præfects and Course-keeper, and
placed on the top of TOYS (_q.v._) in their Hall, and was pelted with
PONTOS (_q.v._) by the rest. The following PEALS (_q.v._) were chanted
previously, one on each day: “Locks and Keys,” “Boots and Leathers,”
and “Gomer Hats.”
*Stick-ups*, _subs._ (Harrow).—Stand-up, or high collars: as
opposed to “turn-downs.” The rules as to collars are very
intricate, and differ in various Houses. At Charterhouse
STICK-UPS are not permissible until the end of the first
year.
*Stinks*, _subs._ (general).—Chemistry. Also as a nickname for a
lecturer thereon.
*Stizzle*, _verb_ (Tonbridge).—To cane.
*Stodge*, _subs._ (Charterhouse).—The inside of a roll; the
crumb of new bread.
_Verb_ (Tonbridge).—To hurt.
*Stodger*, _subs._ (Charterhouse and Tonbridge).—A penny bun.
*Stone* (The), _subs._ (Christ’s Hospital: obsolete).—The
Steward’s table in Hall. TO GO TO THE STONE = to go up for
trial, judgment, and sentence for misconduct.
1844. _Reminis. of Christ’s Hospital_ [_The Blue_, Aug. 1874]. With
respect to misconduct out of school hours, the several monitors were
the police, and the Steward the sole judge. When first appointed, the
young monitors displayed excessive zeal in the discovery of
delinquencies, and would call out with as much severity as it was
possible to throw into the voice of a youth of fourteen, “Go to THE
STONE, you, sir!” “THE STONE” was the name given to the Steward’s
table in the Hall, where offenders were tried, judgment delivered, and
sentence carried out, immediately after meals. The mildest punishment
consisted of caning on the open hand (ironically termed “cakes”), and
next in severity was flogging with the birch (called “brushing”); and
Fate, with a grim sense of humour which we failed to appreciate at the
time, decreed that the head beadle in our time, who was appointed to
administer the said brushings and cakes, should bear the appropriate
name of Honey.
*Stonyhurst-cricket* (or *Football*). _See_ Appendix.
*Stop.* TO STOP OUT, _verb. phr._ (Harrow and Charterhouse).—To
absent oneself from school: at Harrow, through
indisposition.
*Stopping-up*, subs. (Stonyhurst).—An extra time of study
allowed to elder boys when the rest have gone to bed: _e.g._
“I am going to STOPPING-UP to-night.”
*Strangers’ Place*, _subs._ (Stonyhurst: obsolete).—The
guest-rooms. When a boy had friends staying in the College
he was said to be “in the STRANGERS’ PLACE.” _Cf._ PLACE.
*Straw*,_ subs._ 1. (Harrow).—A straw hat worn by the whole
school all the year round, except on Sundays and at games.
The ELEVEN STRAW = a speckled black-and-white straw hat worn
by the Cricket Eleven.
2. (Rugby).—For two years after his first term (during which
a silk hat or “topper” was _de rigueur_) a boy wears a
black-and-white speckled straw hat with a black ribbon. Each
House has its own distinctive ribbon. At the end of his
third year a boy could “take” his “white straw,” but he was
not expected to do this unless he were a SWELL (_q.v._).
Also _see_ CLEAN STRAW.
*Strawer*, _subs._ (general).—A straw hat.
*Stretch*, _subs._ (University).—A walk.
*Strive*, _verb_ (Christ’s Hospital).—To write with care: _see_
SCRUB. _E.g._ “Copy this!” “Shall I STRIVE, Sir, or ‘scrub’
it down?”
*Stub*, _verb_ (Felsted).—To kick a football about.
1888. _Felstedian_, Dec., p. 98. Now these hollow globes [footballs]
flying through the air, collide with their sandals, and this colliding
they call STUBBING. _Ibid._ (Nov. 1896, 153). Boys are fined for
STUBBING on a forty higher than their own.
1895. _Felstedian_, June, p. 104. Among plausible etymologies it is
attempted to derive STUB from “the sound made by a stubbed football.”
... But the word STUB deserves to be rescued from its fate. I had
always imagined it to be an East Anglian word for “kick,” but it is,
to the best of my belief, obsolete in England.... A contributor to
_Notes and Queries_, writing on a totally different subject, quoted
the following words from a speech by an American judge: “As a
barefooted boy I STUBBED my chapped toes over a rough New England
farm.” [_Stub_ is commonly dialectical, in the sense of “to grub.”]
*Stuckling*, _subs._ (Winchester).—A kind of flat pastry made of
the current year’s apples and dried currants.
1847. HALLIWELL, _Archaic Words_, s.v. STUCKLING. An apple pasty,
thin, somewhat half circular in shape, and not made in a dish.
1883. TROLLOPE, _What I Remember_.... STUCKLING was a kind of flat
pastry made of chopped apples and currants. And the speciality of it
was that the apples must be that year’s apples. They used to be sent
up from Devonshire or Cornwall, and sometimes were with difficulty
obtained.
1891. WRENCH, _Winchester Word-Book_, s.v. STUCKLING. A pudding at
Election dinner, made of meat, apple, and carraway.
*Study-place*, _subs._ (Stonyhurst).—A study. _Cf._ PLACE.
*Stuggy*,_ adj._ (general).—Thick-set. [STUGGY (Devon) = thick,
stout.]
*Stumper*, _subs._ (Tonbridge).—Small cricket played with a
stump.
*Stumps*, _subs._ (Harrow).—Cricket played with a stump and a
soft ball.
*Styx*, _subs._ (The Leys).—A urinal. _Cf._ HADES.
*Sub-minister*, _subs._ (Stonyhurst).—The superior responsible
for the health of the house. _See_ MINISTER.
*Substance*, _subs._ (Westminster).—_See_ SHADOW.
*Suck*, _subs._ (University).—A parasite; a toady.
*Suction*, _subs._ (Winchester).—Sweetmeats.
*Sudden-death*, _subs._ (University).—A crumpet.
*Sum*, _intj._ (Winchester).—The response at names-calling;
ADSUM (_q.v._).
*Summer Quarter*, _subs._ (Charterhouse).—_See_ LONG QUARTER.
*Superann*, _subs._ (Charterhouse).—Superannuate.
*Superannuate*, _subs._ (Winchester).—_See_ quot.
_c._ 1840. MANSFIELD, _School-Life at Winchester_ (1866), 237.
SUPERANNUATE.—A boy who was obliged to leave at Election, owing to his
being past eighteen years of age. FOUNDERS (_q.v._) were not
SUPERANNUATE till they were twenty-five.
*Surly Hall* (Eton).—A public-house on the right bank of the
Thames, some three and a half miles from Windsor. _See_
FOURTH OF JUNE.
*Sur-master*, _subs._ (Manchester Grammar: obsolete).—The second
master; the “Usher.” [There is now no second in command.]
*Sus*, _subs._ (Winchester: obsolete).—The remains of a
Præfect’s tea: a fag’s perquisite.
_c._ 1840. MANSFIELD, _School-Life at Winchester_ (1866), 237.
SUS.—The Juniors’ tea: generally drunk out of a pint cup when in bed.
*Swank*, _verb_ (general).—To work hard. [O.E. _Swinke_ = to
labour.] Hence SWANKER = a hard worker. _See_ SWINK.
... _MS. Cott. Vespas_, D. vii. f. 3. I SWANK in mi sighing stede, I
sal wasche bi al nyghtes mi bede. _Ibid._, 46. I SWANK criand, haase
made. Chekes mine for pine I hade.
*Swat.* _See_ SWOT.
*Sweat.* _See_ SWOT.
*Sweater*, _subs._ (Winchester).—A servant.
*Sweat-gallery*, _subs._ (Winchester).—Fagging Juniors.
*Swell*, _subs._ 1. (Eton and Harrow). _See_ quot.
18[?]. T. R. OLIPHANT, _Eton College_.... It is very hard to define
exactly what is meant by a SWELL at Eton; but it usually implies a boy
who, brought into notice either by athletic prowess or scholarship, or
high standing in the school, by this means becomes acquainted with the
leading members of the school, and is found on acquaintance to develop
considerable social qualities, which make him hand and glove with all
the Eton magnates.
2. (Rugby).—The word SWELL (says Mr. LEES KNOWLES) had an
indefinite, but well understood, meaning in the school. A
member of the school “twenty,” or “fifteen” as it is now, or
a member of the eleven, was, for instance, a SWELL.
_Verb_ (Winchester).—To bathe; to wash.
*Swells*, _subs._ (Winchester).—Sunday services; Saints’-days,
&c. [When surplices were worn.]
*Swift’s.* _See_ PLANKS.
*Swill*, _verb_ (Shrewsbury).—To take a shower-bath; also
(Winchester) to wash by throwing water over the body.
1881. _Felstedian_, Nov., p. 75, “A Day’s Fagging at Winchester.”
Having taken out the washing-stool, I proceed to call the Senior
Præfect; when he gets up I have to SWILL him (_i.e._ pour a can of
water over his back in his bath), and then rub him down with a towel.
*Swinger*, _subs._ (Charterhouse).—A box on the ears. _Cf._
_Swinge_ = to lash, to beat. Also SWINGE as _verb_.
1579. _Mariage of Witt and Wisdome._ O, the passion of God! so I
shalbe SWINGED; So, my bones shalbe bang’d! The poredge pot is stolne:
what, Lob, I say, Come away, and be hangd!
1611. COTGRAVE, _Dict._, s.v. DOBER. To beat, SWINGE, lamme,
bethwacke.
1637. DU BARTAS [NARES]. Then often SWINDGING, with his sinnewy train,
Somtimes his sides, somtimes the dusty plain.
[..?..] _Havelok the Dane_ [SKEAT, E.E.T.S. (1868), 214]. An ofte dede
him sore SWINGE, And wit hondes smerte dinge; So that the blod ran of
his fleys, That tendre was, and swithe neys.
*Swink*, _verb_ (Winchester).—To sweat; to work hard. Also as
_subs._ _See_ SWANK.
1579. _Mariage of Witt and Wisdome._ But now I SWINKE and sweate in
vaine, My labour hath no end, And moping in my study still, My
youthfull yeares I spend.
1590. SPENSER, _Faërie Queene_.... Honour, estate, and all this
worlde’s good, For which men SWINCKE and sweat incessantly.
1891. WRENCH, _Winchester Word-Book_, s.v. SWINK.... The former [to
sweat] is the primary Wykehamical meaning: SWINK and _sweat_ have
therefore changed places.
*Swipes*, _subs._ 1. (Stonyhurst).—The boy-servant who serves
out beer at dinner.