Early (or Late) Play, subs. (Westminster).—See quot.
1867. Collins, The Public Schools, p. 186. Besides the regular weekly half-holidays, there are others specially granted, known as EARLY and LATE PLAYS. The latter, given by the head-master at his discretion, consists in the remission of all school work after eleven A.M. But an EARLY PLAY—when school is “up” at nine—is a much more formal indulgence, accorded by very ancient custom only to the personal request of some visitor of distinction. St. David’s Day (March 1st) and St. Patrick’s (March 17) have always been holidays of this class: for the former, the late and the present Sir Watkin Wynn have always come down to Westminster; and for the latter, the late Marquess of Lansdowne (as an Irish peer) and Sir Everard Home. The custom, even now observed on some occasions, was for the visitor’s arrival at the gate to be formally announced to the head-master by Monos, who received a “tip” for his services. The master at once “came down school,” and reappeared through the great door, accompanied by the hero of the day, who was received by the boys with great demonstrations of welcome, expressed by the vigorous rapping of books on the desks. Both knelt down side by side, while the “monitor of school,” kneeling immediately in front of them, proceeded with the usual school prayers. The visitor then “begged a play,” which was granted. The applause was renewed, and acknowledged by a bow, after which the whole of the boys rushed joyously down school, the masters following in more grave and stately fashion. The visits of the “King of North Wales” were doubly popular, since he presented every Welsh boy with a sovereign—a custom which the present baronet liberally continues.
East. See Wise Men of the East.
Ecky, subs. (Manchester Grammar).—Exercise.
Egg (or Egg-up), verb (Marlborough).—To show ostentatious zeal. Whence EGGER (subs.) and EGGY (adj.).
Egg-flip Day, subs. (Winchester).—The Founder’s Commemoration Day. [Because a favourite beverage at the festivities succeeding the great annual football match played on that day between the “first sixes” of Commoners and College was “Egg-flip.”]
Eggotty, adj. (Felsted).—Used as follows: A boy seen carrying an egg or eggs, if addressed by another as “EGGOTTY,” might, must in fact, almost in honour, throw an egg at him. If the egg-owner was a good shot he would invite his friend “call me EGGOTTY.”
Eight, subs. (Harrow).—The school Shooting EIGHT: also the Gym. EIGHT.
Election, subs. (Winchester).—The examination of Præfects and Senior Part for New College, and of candidates for admission to Winchester.
Intj. (Westminster).—A fag-call.
1867. Collins, The Public Schools, p. 164. From about 8 to 10 he [the fag] is supposed to be at work, in a sort of common room assigned to the juniors collectively, preparing his lessons for next day; but the call of “ELECTION,” which signifies that the services of one of the junior election is required by one of the seniors, used to be frequent enough to be a very serious interruption. It is admitted that these demands upon a junior’s time have commonly been such that “a boy tempted to be idle, as most of them are, finds very considerable difficulty in doing his work.” In order to check these interruptions as far as possible, a late regulation has made all fagging unlawful during these evening hours of work.
To gain a year by election, verb. phr. (Winchester).—A boy not being a Founder (q.v.) was obliged to leave at the Election immediately succeeding his eighteenth birthday; he whose birthday came shortly after Election, was thus enabled to stay till he was nearly nineteen, and was so said “to gain a year.”—Mansfield (c. 1840).
Electors, subs. (Winchester).—The Warden and two Fellows of New College, and the Warden, Sub-Warden, and Head-master of Winchester, who conducted Election (q.v.).—Mansfield (c. 1840).
Elegant Extracts, subs. (Cambridge).—Students who, though “plucked,” were still given their degrees. A line was drawn below the poll-list, and those allowed to pass were nicknamed the ELEGANT EXTRACTS. There was a similar limbo in the honour-list.
Elements, subs. (Stonyhurst).—The first Form.
End, subs. 1. (Winchester).—A table or division of a table in College Hall, practically meaning “mess.”—Wrench.
c. 1840. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester (1866), 208. End.—At dinner-time the Inferiors (q.v.) were divided into six companies, each being presided over by a Candlekeeper (q.v.). These companies and the table at which they sat were called ENDS.
2. (Felsted).—See Tip.
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.