Black Tiger, The (Rugby).—A nickname given to Dr. Ingles, head-master from 1793 to 1803.
Blandyke (Stonyhurst).—The monthly recreation day. [From the village of Blandyke (now Blandecques), a league from St. Omers, where was a country house or villa at which such days were spent during the summer months.] See Appendix.
Blazer, subs. (originally Cambridge: now general).—A light jacket of bright colour. Originally applied to the bright red uniform of the Lady Margaret Boat Club of St. John’s College, Cambridge. [Prof. Skeat (N. and Q., 7 S., iii. 436), speaking of the Johnian BLAZER, says it was always of the most brilliant scarlet, and thinks it not improbable that the fact suggested the name which subsequently became general.]
1880. Times, June 19. Men in spotless flannel, and club BLAZERS.
1885. Punch, June 27, p. 304. Harkaway turns up clad in what he calls a BLAZER, which makes him look like a nigger minstrel out for a holiday.
1889. Daily News, Aug. 22, p. 6, col. 6. Dress by the Sea. Sir,—In your article of to-day, under the above heading, you speak of “a striped red and black BLAZER,” “the BLAZER,” also of “the pale toned” ones. This is worth noting as a case of the specific becoming the generic. A BLAZER is the red flannel boating jacket worn by the Lady Margaret, St. John’s College, Cambridge, Boat Club. When I was at Cambridge it meant that and nothing else. It seems from your article that a BLAZER now means a coloured flannel jacket, whether for cricket, tennis, boating, or seaside wear.—Yours faithfully, Walter Wren.
1897. Felstedian, June, p. 99. The new football BLAZER is very handsome.
Bleed, subs. (Tonbridge).—One who is remarkably good at anything.
Bleyis-sylver (or Bent-sylver), subs. (Royal High School, Edin.).—A gratuity given in olden times by pupils to masters. He who gave most was proclaimed “victor” or “king.” [Bleyis is derived from bleis = a torch or blaze (mod. Scot. bleeze). Bleyis-sylver = silver given at Candlemas on the time of the bleeze. Dr. Jamieson (Dict.) suggests bent = Fr. benit, i.e. blessed, because money was given on a Saint’s day. Dr. Stevens, the school historian, suggests bent = coarse grass. In sixteenth and seventeenth centuries pupils had leave to go and cut this coarse grass to strew on floor of school. Afterwards annual holidays were instituted on first Mondays of May, June, and July, when a money payment was made to the master to purchase “bent.” (Cf. Stevens’ Hist. of High School, p. 678.) This is more probable.]
Block, The (Eton).—A wooden step in the library of the Upper School upon which a boy set down for flogging kneels. He is “held down” by two junior Collegers, and the Sixth Form Preposter hands to the head-master the necessary birch or birches.