C.
CANDLEKEEPERS—The seven Inferiors (v. inf.) who had been in College the longest time. They were excused from all fagging, though if there was an absolute dearth of Juniors, Præfects in full power had (though they rarely exercised it) the right to fag them. They were allowed a Breakfast fag in Hall, and a Valet (v. inf.) in Chambers; and the Senior Candlekeeper had the power of fagging the twenty Juniors on the School side of Seventh Chamber Passage Gate.
CANDLESTICKS—Candidates for admission into College.
CARGO—A hamper of eatables sent to a boy by his friends.
CAT’S HEAD—A Dispar, (v. inf.,) the end of a shoulder of mutton.
CHAMBER DAY—A day on which access was allowed to Chambers during the whole day.
CHILD—Each of the Electors appointed one; his principal duty was to pocket a sovereign.
CHINTZ—A chance.
CLASSICUS—The boy who at the end of the week has the smallest score in the
CLASSICUS PAPER—The book in which, each day after morning school, the position of each boy in his Part was marked, the lowest being marked one, and so on. The Classicus had to get the lessons set, as well as the Themes for composition.
CLEAN STRAW—Clean sheets.
CLOISTERS—The name given to Middle and Junior Part of Fifth Book, when combined together in
CLOISTER TIME—Ten or twelve weeks at the latter end of Long Half, commencing about Whitsunday and ending at Standing-up week, (v. inf.)
CLOISTER ROUSH—An annual engagement between Cloisters and Senior Part in School at the beginning of Cloister Time.
CLOW—A box on the ear.
COLLEGE WARE—Crockery that fell without breaking.
COMMON TIME—The Short Half, and beginning of Long, up to Easter Time.
COMMONERS—The boys not on the foundation. Also the building they lived in.
COMMONER GRUB—An entertainment given by Commoners to College after the cricket matches.
COMMONERS SPEAKING—The day on which the speakers selected from among the Inferiors declaimed.
CON—A blow on the head given with the knuckles or any other hard substance, derived from κoνδυλον, a knuckle.
CON.
CONDUIT—A water tap.
CONTINENT—A boy was said to go Continent when he left School for Sick-house.
COURSE, IN—The two Præfects of Chapel are said “to be in Course” on alternate weeks, when they have to call names at the end of the service. The Præfects in each Chamber are “in Course” in rotation, during which time they are especially responsible for what goes on within their jurisdiction. A new boy on his arrival was not liable to be fagged for the first fortnight; when his fagging commenced he was said to be “in Course.”
COURSEKEEPER—An office in the patronage of the Commoner Præfects, the duties of which were principally connected with the organisation of the fagging department. He was required to have been three years in the school, to be of reasonable bodily strength, and in Middle Part. His privileges were numerous, the principal being that he was allowed to fag. When he ascended into Senior Part his duties ceased, but his privileges remained; he was then called “Ex-Coursekeeper.”
CROCKETTS—Miniature Cricket, played with a stump and a five’s ball. Also, when a boy had got no runs in a cricket match, or had failed in a lesson of Standing Up, (v. inf.,) he was said to have “got Crocketts.”
CROPPLED—To be floored in any examination.
CUD—Pretty, Nice.
CUSE PAPER—The same as Classicus Paper, (v. sup.)
CUT IN A BOOK—A method of drawing lots. A certain letter was fixed on, (e.g., the first in the second line on the left page,) each boy then turned over a leaf, and whoever turned over the leaf in which the corresponding letter was nearest to A, won.