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, verb (Stonyhurst).—To Cob (q.v.).

Ball of Honour, subs. (Stonyhurst).—See Beggar’s-ace.

Bannet (and Bannet-fire), subs. (Royal High School, Edin.).—See Bonnet and Bonnet-fire, ante: in each case an error has crept in; the correct spelling is, of course, bannet.

Bate, adj. (Harrow).—Angry.

Beast, subs. (Cambridge).—See Brute.

Beggar’s-ace (and Ball of Honour), subs. (Stonyhurst).—Two extra balls given by the winning side in a game to enable their opponents to catch up if possible.

Bill, subs. (Eton).—An old Etonian states that “in the Bill” used to mean only that a boy was “complained of” to the Head-master. See ante.

Black Monday (Stonyhurst).—The day of re-opening of schools.

Blandyke (Stonyhurst).—See ante. It may be interesting to call attention to the connection between Stonyhurst and St. Omers and many of the words and phrases occurring in this vocabulary. They not only date from the Continental period, but find their explanation in it alone. The College was founded in 1592 at St. Omers, and continued without a break (at Bruges and Liège) previous to the settlement in England in 1794.

Bloody Wars, subs. (Stonyhurst).—A common name for any stiffness: such as that usually experienced at the beginning of the football or cricket season: e.g. “I’ve got the BLOODY WARS.”