The Public School Word-book / A conribution to to a historical glossary of words phrases and turns of expression obsolete and in current use peculiar to our great public schools together with some that have been or are modish at the universities

by John Stephen Farmer

Holiday, subs. (Sherborne: obsolete).—A Saint’s day: sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Hollis, subs. (Winchester).—A small pebble. [Said to be derived from a boy of that name.—Wrench.]

Holy Club (The), subs. (Oxford: obsolete).—A band of kindred spirits who gathered round John Wesley while at Lincoln College: in ridicule.

Home-bill, subs. (Charterhouse).—Food supplied by the butler at breakfast or tea, to supplement the bread-and-butter supplied by the house master. It consists of eggs, eggs and bacon, ham, or sausages at breakfast; of poached eggs, mince, sausages and potatoes, tongue, ham, brawn, beef, or pork-pie at tea. The price is usually 4d. for each HOME-BILL; in some houses 6d. is the charge for the Upper School.

Home-bug, subs. (Harrow).—A home boarder; a day boy.

Honour (Legion of). See Legion.

Honours, subs. (Stonyhurst).—Classes in which extra classics are read in the three highest Forms.

Hook, intj. (Oxford).—An expression implying doubt. [Query from the note of interrogation (?) or connected with “Hookey Walker.”]

1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v. Hookey walker—and WITH A HOOK, usually accompanied by a significant upliftment of the hand and crooking of the forefinger, implying that what is said is a lie, or is to be taken contrariwise.

1843. Moncrieff, Scamps of London, i. 1. Bob. Will you have some gin? Fogg. Gin—yes! Bob (turning away). Ha—ha!—WITH A HOOK ... I wish you may get it.