S.
SS. AND TREES—A scratch game of Football without chosen sides, or kicking in, so called after the goals, which were, at one end, two iron clamps fixed in the wall, shaped like the letter S, and at the other two trees.
SCADGER—A Ruffian.
SCALDINGS—A call of warning to get out of the way.
SCHEME—A method adopted by the boys for calling themselves in the morning. It was managed by cutting the Functior down to a length calculated to burn till the time required; paper was then placed round the socket, and a string attached to it, the other end of which passed through the head of a bed, and held suspended over the head of the sleeper a weight of books or cup of water. When the rushlight burned down it ignited the paper, which burnt the string, and so caused the weight to fall on the head of the boy beneath.
SCHITT—The score made (one) when the Football was kicked between the goal and the last of the line of the kickers in.
SCOB—An oaken box with a double lid. All the College boys and a few of the Commoner Præfects had one each, at which they sat in School. So called from the word Box spelt phonetically backwards.
SCONCE—To deprive a person of anything.
SCRAPE OUT—When a Præfect wished to go out of School, he scraped with his foot till he got a nod from the Master.
SCRUBBING—A flogging of four cuts.
SCRUTINY—At the commencement of Election week, the Electors summoned the seven Senior and seven Junior boys, and inquired of them if they had any complaints to make with regard to the arrangements made for their comfort.
SEMPER—Always. A very common prefix, e.g., a boy was said to be Semper Continent, Tardy, or ex Trumps if he was often at Sick House, or late for Chapel, or habitually went up to Books without having looked at his lessons. An official, who was always present at the College meetings, went by the name of “Semper Testis.”
SENIOR PART, THE FIFTH—The Part next below the Præfects, generally called Senior Part.
SHIG—A Shilling.
SHORT HALF—The Half-year commencing in September and ending at Christmas.
SILVER FORK—A wooden skewer used as a chop-stick when forks were scarce.
SINES—The loaves provided for breakfast in Commoners, probably derived from “Sine,” (without,) as the Juniors so often went without them.
SIX AND SIX—A game at Football, with six on each side.
SKIMMER—A method of entering the water when bathing; by just skimming beneath the surface, and rising again immediately.
SKIN—To take off a Jersey by pulling it inside out over the head.
SKIRMISHING ON—Running home from Hills when it came on to rain.
SNACK—A small Fives ball.
SNAPPING UP FOR FALSE QUANTITIES—When up at books, if any boy, when translating, made a false quantity, any other boy (however low down in the part) who could first correct him was allowed to go up above him. If, however, the Snapper up was himself wrong, he had to go to the bottom of the part.
SOCIUS—A Companion. Each boy was obliged to walk with one when going to or from Hills or Cathedral.
SOCK—To hit hard at Cricket; also, to win; in the passive voice, to be beaten.
SOG—A Sovereign.
SOROR—Sister.
SPITE—To dislike a person, and treat him accordingly.
SPITING GABELL—When a boy suffered some injury himself, in order to spite another person; or having in some way injured another, received punishment, he was said to be “Spiting Gabell.” Dr Gabell was formerly Head Master, and the extreme inexpediency of attempting to annoy him gave rise to the proverb.
SPLICE—To throw.
SPORT—To give away; also, to display any article of dress.
SPREE—Conceited, Cocky, Giving himself airs; when applied to a person; Smart, Stylish, when to a thing.
SQUISH—Very weak tea.
STANDING-UP WEEK—During the last week of Long Half, all the boys, except Sixth Book and Senior Part, had to say a number of lines by heart in eight lessons, which they were supposed to have learnt in the course of the previous year; this was called Standing up. Marks were given according to merit, and these marks had a very material effect on the respective position of the boys in their Parts.
STICKING UP.[18]
STICKING UP—On the three last Fridays of each Half, a boy was selected by appointment of Commoner Præfects and Coursekeeper, and placed on the top of “Toys” (v. inf.) in their Hall, and was pelted with “Pontos” (v. sup.) by the rest. The following Peals were chanted previously, one on each day: “Locks and Keys,” “Boots and Leathers,” and “Gomer Hats.”
STUCKLING—A kind of mince-pie made of minced beef, caraway seeds, and apples, always served at the Election dinners.
SUM—I am. The answer made by each boy when names were called.
SUPERANNUATE—A boy who was obliged to leave at Election, owing to his being past eighteen years of age. “Founders” were not “Superannuate” till they were twenty-five.
SUS—The Juniors tea generally drunk out of a pint cup when in bed.