Pad, subs. (King Edward’s, Birm.).—Writing-paper: e.g. “a sheet of PAD”; “lend me some PAD.” [The paper for exercises is generally in the form of writing-pads, from which a sheet may be separated as wanted.]
Pageites (Charterhouse).—See Out-houses.
Palmer, subs. (Durham: obsolete).—A sly fellow.
Pancake. Tossing the pancake, verb. phr. (Westminster).—See quot.
1867. Collins, The Public Schools, 171. The old Shrove-Tuesday custom of TOSSING THE PANCAKE, though now peculiar to Westminster, is said to have been also formerly in use at Eton. The ceremony as at present performed is this. The cook, preceded by the verger, enters the large school, in full official costume, with the hot cake in the pan. He tosses it—or tries to toss it, for it is no easy feat—over the iron bar, which has been already mentioned as having once held a curtain screening off the upper school from the lower. If he succeeds he claims a fee of two guineas. There is a scramble among the boys, who stand on the other side of the bar, for the PANCAKE, and if any boy can secure it whole, which seldom happens, he carries it up to the dean, who presents him with a sovereign. They also claim a right to “book” the performer (i.e. hurl a shower of books at him) if he fails more than once. This right was liberally exercised in 1865, when the wrath of the school had culminated owing to repeated failures in that and the previous year. The exasperated cook replied to the attack with his only available missile—the frying-pan—and a serious row was the consequence. The battle is celebrated in a clever mock-heroic poem, in Greek Homeric verse, attributed to a high Westminster authority.
Pandie, subs. (Royal High School, Edin.: obsolete).—A stroke from the leather strap known as the TAWSE (q.v.), used in Scotland instead of the cane; a PAUMIE (q.v.). [From the order given in Latin, Pande manum. See Redgauntlet.]
Pantile, subs. (general).—A flat cake covered with jam.
Panupetaston, subs. (University: obsolete).—A loose overcoat with wide sleeves.
Paradise, subs. 1. (Oxford).—A grove of trees outside St. John’s College.
2. (Rugby).—A room in the old school (built in 1755) on the site of which the school-house hall now stands. [From its pleasant look-out.]