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

Promo, subs. (Charterhouse).—Promotion.

Prompter, subs. (Merchant Taylors’).—A member of the Second Form.

Proof, subs. (Oxford).—The best ale at Magdalen College.

Pros, subs. (Cambridge).—A W.C.

Prose, subs. (Winchester).—A lecture. Also as verb.

Prose-task, subs. (Winchester).—A piece of Latin prose composition, which all the boys had to do once a week.—Mansfield (c. 1840).

Provincial’s-day. See Day.

Pruff, adj. (Winchester).—Sturdy; insensible to pain.

1610. Shakspeare, Cor., i. 4. Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight With hearts more PROOF than shields.

1881. Pascoe, Public Schools.... But deprive a Wykehamist of words in constant use, such as “quill,” meaning to curry favour with; PRUFF, signifying sturdy, or proof against pain; “spree,” upstart, impudent; “cud,” pretty, and many more, and his vocabulary becomes limited.