Accidence (Harrow).—See Upper School.
Ack (or Ick), intj. (Christ’s Hospital).—No! nothing. Ex. “Lend me your book.” “Ack!” Obsolete.
Action, subs. (King Edward’s, Birm.: obsolete).—A game in which a number of boys start from one end of the cloisters and run to the other, trying to avoid being captured en route by others who seek to intercept them. The game was also called Fox and dowdy. These were names in use twenty-five years ago. To-day the same game is called Bacca, because the prisoners must be held long enough for the captor to say, “one, two, three, caught, tobacco!”
Ad lib., subs. phr. (Stonyhurst).—The time when boys are not bound to study in the Study-place (q.v.).
Admonishing-money, subs. (Westminster).—See quot.
1867. Collins, The Public Schools, p. 116. The punishments for speaking English in hall or school, which have been before alluded to, were strictly enforced in his [Dr. Busby’s] days in the way of fines, called ADMONISHING-MONEY, which figure occasionally in his [Lynn’s] account. The custom was for the second boy of the second election to act as a sort of monitor for this purpose, and to deliver to any boy who so offended a “mark” or tally, with the words, Tu es custos; this mark he had to pass in turn to the first whom he could detect in a similar slip, and the boy with whom the mark remained when hall broke up incurred a fine. Charles Dryden, son of the poet, thought himself so hardly used by being made custos three days running (by some unfairness, as he conceived), that the father wrote a strong letter on the subject to his old master, Busby, and was very nearly removing the boy from school.
Ad portas, subs. (Winchester: obsolete).—A Latin speech delivered by the Senior College Prefect to the Warden of New College and the Posers (q.v.) under Middle gate at the commencement of Election week.
1867. Collins, The Public Schools, p. 61. When the Warden of New College, Oxford, with two of his Fellows, called the “posers” (or at one time “supervisors”), arrive at the college, ... they are received with a Latin oration Ad Portas by the senior scholar. Two other speeches are delivered in school just before their arrival: 1. Elizabethæ et Jacobi Laudes (commonly known as “Elizabeth and Jacob”), by the Prefect of School; 2. Fundatoris Laudes, formerly assigned to the senior “Founder’s kin” scholar, but now spoken by the third prefect.
Adsum, intj. (Charterhouse).—The response made in answer to names-calling.
1855. Thackeray, The Newcomes, p. 774. At the usual evening hour the chapel bell began to toll, and Thomas Newcome’s hands outside the bed feebly beat time. And just as the last bell struck a peculiar sweet smile shone over his face, and he lifted up his head a little and quickly said ADSUM, and fell back. It was the word we used at school when names were called; and lo, he whose heart was as that of a little child had answered to his name, and stood in the presence of the Master.