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

c. 1840. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester, 222. Off bat, the station of one of the field in a cricket match, called by the outer world “Point.”

Officer, subs. (Winchester).—A College Præfect when in office: as the Præfect of Hall, Chapel, School, or Library.

-oi, inseparable suffix (Tonbridge).—Indicative of complaisant disdain: e.g. TO DO THE BLEED-OI (see Bleed) = to swagger; to appear to be distinguishing oneself.

Oiler, subs. (University).—A cad.

Oips, subs. (Haileybury).—Boys who are not good enough for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or Below Bigside Elevens play in the Oips. [An abbreviation of Hoi polloi.]

Old Cars, subs. (Charterhouse).—Old Carthusians: regarded as a vulgarism.

Old Pig (The).—See Pig.

Old Schools, The (Harrow).—The original school building erected by John Lyon, together with the “Old Speech-room,” which, however, is of much later date.

Olds, subs. (The Leys).—A division of the “School House,” three dormitories—“Upper Olds,” “Under Olds,” and “Under Under.” See News.

On, adv. and intj. (Winchester: obsolete).—The word to start given by the Præfect of Hall when the School went in procession to Hills, Cathedral, &c. Also as in quot. See Appendix.