The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-17

its head and the casual removal of an in
termediate syllable. All these processes
TO produce Soccer" from association.
Rugby was more fortunate. It had only
tail 10 lose.
"JagSers, Quaggers," Etc.
There has been a Juror at Oxford in
recent years for word-coining of this char
acter' and some surpCi1ng effects have
oeeh achieved. A freshman became a
Iresher" in the earlier Victorian era
ana promises to remain so for all time and
existence. The unattached student-whose
patron saint is st. Katherine-was prompt
~ labelled "tosher'' when first he made
ms unloved appearance. THE Rudiments
OF Faith and Religion" now cheerfuliy
abolished, were known as "rudders."
helr successor, The Divinity Examina-
ton is usually spoken of as "Diviners"
or DlVVers.' Jesus College men were
called "Jaggers' long before certain
messenger boy played the part of Mercury
across the Atlantic, and Queens men are
Quaggers' The Torpids are ''Toggers,"
ana breakfast is and will be "brekker."
MarVels nave been done with the most
unpromising material For example. one
would have thought that the Union" de-
ned corruption. But not so. Some in
genious wit had an Inspiration and called
II the Ugger," and his friends bowed low
before him. The dean of a college is the
deaner" or the dagger" while even this
IS reduced by some to the dag" When
IN their mercy, the donS began to excuse
attendance at morning chapel and substi-
tuted a policy of pin princks instead in
the shape of a roll call. this was known
as roller. When you passed an exam
lnation you obtained a testamur or certif-
x1soE 1aI o11 -
and thanks to it you could proceed to take
a degrugger," which is Oxford for de-
gree. Paddington station, dearest of all
the London termini to the undergraduate
heart during term, is Padder A bonfire
IS bonner and "collec tions''-a cere-
mcny at which the whole host of dons.
sitting in solemn boredom, frankly say
what they think of you-are "colleggers.
Each man has sitter and "bedder,"
attends as cheerfully as ne can his "lec-
GERS, and after lunch devotes himself to
eccer,' which is, in ordinary parlance,
exercise This may take the shape of
'footer," or a mild constitutional known
as 'constituter," while if any one
lounges idly about he is, of course. a
Stacker" A Canadian canoe is a Can
ader," while II a man is i'll, or thinks he
is-the will often being father to the
thought-he goes on the aeger''-that is
to say he puts his name down on the
sick list and obtains the luxury of a hot
dinner in his rooms But the triumph of
this iargon was reached when some one
christened the Martyrs Memorial he
Martyrs Memugger" Shades of Ridley
and Latimer! To think they Tit such a
fire" for that! One wonders if the under
graduates of their day stood round and
said that their execution was "Bshop
Bonner's bonnerl"
The "Bug Shooters"
st. Msrys Han is known as skimmery,
and st. Edmunds as Teddy Hail. Under
meath the fearsome form of "Wuggins"
turks Worcester College, while the proctor
is referred to as Proggins, and to protorize
becomes to prog. The Church of St Philip
and ST. James is affectionately spoken of
as Phil and jim" and all who have dwelt
near St. Peter s-in-the-East and been tor
tured by its fearsome bell will understand
why despite its pleasant situation and GU
rious crypt, it should be referred to as st
Peters the Beast" Snug is a hard
reading man who takes 10 interest in his
college, while the verb ito SNUG" also
bears the more restricted significance of
having a cold dinner in your rooms. A
Brown George is huge earthenware
jug which holds the water for your morn
ing tub.
If you join the volunteers you are dis
courteously spoken of as a bug shooter
If you return and find your rooms in a
state of chaos your friends have been in
dulging in a rag" Should the rag be
serious-that is TO say should all the fur
niture be piled in one sad heap in the mid
die of the room, with the coal scuttle atop
depend upon it some one has been giving
"binge." A "binge," it is to be observed |
connotes liquid refreshments, while ito be
hinged is sometimes followed by a sad
breakfast at a neighboring chemists.
Such are some of the better known ex-
amples of oxford slang. Another feature
of undergraduate conversation is the ten
dency to seize upon some unfortunate
word or phrase and work it to death. A
few years ago an undergraduate who |
wished to express his lively appreciation |
of anything would remark, I'm fearfully |
with it" to which his friend might answer |
with equal emphasis I'm badly against |
it," Every few minutes out would come |
these barbaric phrases, an eternal yea and |
nay of appreciation and dissent. Report !
says that they have now vanished into |
limbo. Gay" was another word which |
served its turn. You could not only have !
a gay time. but attend a "fearfully gay |
funeral. Later on festive" came into |
fashion, while to-day the great word Is |
blood" Men are classified as "bloods''
and "non-bloods." A blood" practically |
with the now obsolete buck |
If a man takes any obvious thought for |
what he shall put on he is a blood Is |
his waistcoat of any peculiar style or pat
tern-then It is a blood" waistcoat Or |
his.