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

Bag, subs. (Westminster).—Milk.

Bags (or Bags I), intj. (common).—Used to assert a claim to some article or privilege. Analogous school slang is FAINS or FAIN IT (q.v.) for demanding a truce during the progress of a game, and which is always granted by the opposing party. In other schools pike I or PRIOR PIKE serve to lay claim to anything, or for asserting priority. Also BAR: e.g. “He wanted me to do so and so, but I BARRED not.” Cf. Fain.

Bags’-stile, subs. (Rugby).—See quot.

1867. Collins, The Public Schools, 363. On the Dunchurch Road there was a stile long known as BAGS’ STILE; here a certain set of boys, of whom Lyttelton was one [c. 1793], used to sit and “chaff” the passing “bagsmen”—for the commercial travellers to Rugby then rode with actual saddle-bags; and this practice led to terrible fights occasionally with the aggrieved riders.

Bake, verb (Winchester).—To rest; to sit or lie at ease. Hence BAKER (q.v.); BAKESTER (obsolete) = a sluggard; BAKING-LEAVE (q.v.); BAKING-PLACE (q.v.); BAKER-LAYER (q.v.). [North. Dial. beak = to bask in the heat. Jamieson, beik, beke, beek = to bask.]

1360. Ywaine [Ritson, E. M. R.]. And ligges BEKEAND in his bed.

d. 1395. Barbour MS. Ane Inglis man, that lay BEKAND Hym be a fyr.

1577. Kendall [Wrench]. At home we take our ease And BEAKE ourselves in rest.

1648. Symmons, Vindication of Chas. I. Wherefore if that Pope of Rome when he lay BEAKING himself in the midst of his luxuries, had cause to cry out, Heu quantum patimur pro Christo.

d. 1758. Ramsay, Works. She and her cat sit BEEKING in her yard.