Gowner, subs. (Winchester).—The Goal (q.v.) at football stood with his legs stretched out, and a gown, rolled up into a ball, at each foot. When the ball was kicked over either of these gowns, without goal’s touching it, this counted two for the party who kicked it.—Mansfield (c. 1840). Also see Goal and Schitt. Now obsolete.
Gownsman (also Gown), subs. (University).—A student.
1800. C. K. Sharpe, in Correspondence (1888), i. 96. A battle between the GOWNSMEN and townspeople ... in spite of the Vice-Chancellor and Proctors.
1850. F. E. Smedley, Frank Fairlegh, ch. xxv. The ancient town of Cambridge, no longer animated by the countless throngs of GOWNSMEN, frowned in its unaccustomed solitude.
1853. Bradley, Verdant Green, III. By the time Mr. Bouncer finished these words, the coach appropriately drew up at the “Mitre,” and the passengers tumbled off amid a knot of GOWNSMEN collected on the pavement to receive them.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford. The townsmen ... were met by the GOWNSMEN with settled steady pluck.
Gowsers, subs. (Charterhouse: obsolete).—Shoes.
Grammar, subs. 1. (Stonyhurst).—The Lower Fourth Form.
2. (Harrow).—See Upper School.
Grand-matches, subs. (Stonyhurst).—The three final matches of the Stonyhurst-football (q.v.) season, played always on the Thursday before Shrove-tide, and on the following Monday and Tuesday. These days are school holidays, and in the evenings the great plays of the year are given.