Dribbler, subs. (Sherborne).—A weak-minded person.
Drifty, adj. (Felsted: obsolete).—Cold: e.g. “a DRIFTY day.”
Drive, verb (Felsted).—To be late, or nearly late, for a roll-call. Also as subs.: e.g. “He did a drive.”
Intj. (Felsted).—A contemptuous retort, signifying that a piece of news is stale: originally DRIVE UP! [The original usage.]
Dry-bob, subs. (Eton).—A boy who goes in for cricket rather than boating. See Wet-bob.
1839. Buckland [Macmillan’s Mag. (Nov. 1889), “Eton Fifty Years Ago”]. It was the ambition of most boys to be a wet-bob, and to be “in the boats.” The school was divided between wet-bobs and DRY-BOBS, the former taking their pleasure on the river, and the latter in the cricket-field.
Duchess’ Rooms (Stonyhurst: obsolete).—A section of the old College once inhabited by a Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.
1885. Stonyhurst Mag., ii. 100. The whole of this building ... stood in what is now the back court.... It was entirely of wood and plaster, in the style denominated “post and pattern.” The Duchess of Norfolk, the last of the Shireburns, daughter of Sir Nicholas, resided in it, hence the name of THE DUCHESS’ ROOMS by which it was last known. She faced the front of the wooden building with stone, and inserted sash windows, a style then coming into fashion.
Dubs, adj. (Winchester).—Double.
Duck, subs. 1. (Winchester).—The face. To make a duck = to grimace. [Duck (var. dial.) = to bow.]