Vac,subs.(University).—Vacation.
1891.Harry Fludyer at Cambridge, 2. I can’t make out why the Pater is always so crusty about Rover. He told me every day lastVAChe wouldn’t have his house over-run with dogs.
Valet, subs. (Winchester).—Every Præfect had a Junior in Chambers who acted in this capacity, made his tea or coffee, carried his things through from Chambers to School and back again, and looked after him in general.—Mansfield(c.1840).
Varmint,adj.(old University).—Good; spruce.
Varmint-man,subs.(Cambridge: obsolete).Seequots.
1803.Gradus ad Cantab.AVARMINT-MANspurns a scholarship, would consider it a degradation to be a Fellow.
1827.Alma Mater....The handsome man, my friend and pupil, was naturally enough a bit of a swell, orVARMINT-MAN.
’Varsity,subs.(Oxford and Cambridge).—The accepted corruption of University.
’Varsity-tit(orTit), subs. (Durham).—A student of Durham University: in contempt.
Varying,subs.(Winchester).—AVULGUS(q.v.) doneUP TO BOOKS(q.v.).
Vaseline,subs.(Royal Military Academy).—Butter.
Vaughan, The(Harrow).—The school library: named after Dr. Vaughan.
Verites(Charterhouse).—A boarding-house. [A corruption of Oliverites, after Dr. Oliver Walford, 1838-55.]
Vessel, subs. (Winchester).—The eighth of a sheet ofLONG-PAPER(q.v.).—[Halliwell.] Ital.vassiola.
Vex,adv.(Christ’s Hospital).—“So much the worse for”:e.g.“Vex for you.”Cf.Chaff.
Vic,intj.(Felsted).—An exclamation giving warning of a master’s approach; the equivalent ofcave, which is not used at Felsted. AlsoTO KEEP VIC.
Vice(The),subs.(University).—The Vice-Chancellor.
Vile-child,subs.(Eton).—Seequot., and Appendix.
1866-72.Sketchy Memories of Eton....Being called aVILE-CHILD, the which I subsequently learnt was a very frequent term of mild reproach, and had no particular reference to the age of the individual to whom it was addressed. As a proof of this I may add that, being at Eton for the Winchester Match in 1883, I (moi-qui-vous-parle, height 6 feet 2 inches, and weight 14 stone 7 lbs.) was called aVILE-CHILDfor being on a committee to oppose a certain obnoxious Indian Bill! I wasn’t sorry when tea was over, although many most pleasant evenings did I afterwards spend in that room.
Vocab,subs.(Charterhouse).—A vocabulary.
Vol,adj.(Harrow).—Voluntary:e.g.Vol-gym.
Voluntary,subs.(Winchester).—A copy of verses written occasionally by some of the boys in Sixth Book and Senior Partex proprio motu.—Mansfield(c.1840).
Vulgus,subs.(Winchester: obsolete).—A Latin epigram: four or six lines long. HenceVULGUS-BOOK= aCRIB(q.v.).
1883.Trollope,What I Remember.... The mention of aVULGUSrequires some explanation. Every inferior,i.e.non-prefect, in the school was required every night to produce a copy of verses of from two to six lines on a given theme—four or six lines for the upper classes, two for the lowest. This was independent of a weekly verse task of greater length, and was called aVULGUS, I suppose, because everybody—theVULGUS—had to do it.
1856.Hughes,Tom Brown’s School-days,II. iii. TheVULGUS(commonly supposed to have been established by William of Wykeham at Winchester, and imported to Rugby by Arnold more for the sake of the lines which were learnt by heart with it than for its own intrinsic value, as I’ve always understood), ... is a short exercise in Greek or Latin verse, on a given subject, the minimum number of lines being fixed for each form.... At RugbyVULGUSand lines were the first lesson every other day in the week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; and ... it is obvious ... that the master of each Form had to set one hundred and fourteen subjects every year.... Now, human nature being prone to repeat itself, it will not be wondered that the masters gave the same subjects sometimes over again after a certain lapse of time. To meet and rebuke this bad habit of the masters, the school-boy mind, with its accustomed ingenuity, had invented an elaborate system of tradition. Almost every boy kept his ownVULGUSwritten out in a book ... duly handed down from boy to boy, till ... popular boys, in whose hands bequeathedVULGUS-BOOKShave accumulated, are prepared with three or fourVULGUSESon any subject in heaven or earth, or in “more worlds than one,” which an unfortunate master can pitch upon.... The only objection to the traditionary method of doing yourVULGUSESwas, the risk that the successions might have become confused, and so that you and another follower of traditions should show up the same identicalVULGUSsome fine morning; in which case, when it happened, considerable grief was the result.