A Collection of College Words and CustomsHall, Benjamin Homer
History
A Collection of College Words and Customs
Hall, Benjamin Homer
College students -- United States -- Language; English language -- United States -- Slang; Slang
"Wait in Scull Castle, to receive,
With open gates, your men;
Their right arms nerved, their _femurs_ clenched,
Safe to protect ye then!"--_Ibid._, p. 23.
FERG. To lose the heat of excitement or passion; to become less
angry, ardent; to cool. A correspondent from the University of
Vermont, where this word is used, says: "If a man gets angry, we
'let him _ferg_,' and he feels better."
FESS. Probably abbreviated for CONFESS. In some of the Southern
Colleges, to fail in reciting; to silently request the teacher not
to put farther queries.
This word is in use among the cadets at West Point, with the same
meaning.
And when you and I, and Benny, and General Jackson too,
Are brought before a final board our course of life to view,
May we never "_fess_" on any "point," but then be told to go
To join the army of the blest, with Benny Havens, O!
_Song, Benny Havens, O!_
FINES. In many of the colleges in the United States it was
formerly customary to impose fines upon the students as a
punishment for non-compliance with the laws. The practice is now
very generally abolished.
About the middle of the eighteenth century, the custom of
punishing by pecuniary mulets began, at Harvard College, to be
considered objectionable. "Although," says Quincy, "little
regarded by the students, they were very annoying to their
parents." A list of the fines which were imposed on students at
that period presents a curious aggregate of offences and
punishments.
£ s. d.
Absence from prayers, 0 0 2
Tardiness at prayers, 0 0 1
Absence from Professor's public lecture, 0 0 4
Tardiness at do. 0 0 2
Profanation of Lord's day, not exceeding 0 3 0
Absence from public worship, 0 0 9
Tardiness at do. 0 0 3
Ill behavior at do. not exceeding 0 1 6
Going to meeting before bell-ringing, 0 0 6
Neglecting to repeat the sermon, 0 0 9
Irreverent behavior at prayers, or public divinity
lectures, 0 1 6
Absence from chambers, &c., not exceeding 0 0 6
Not declaiming, not exceeding 0 1 6
Not giving up a declamation, not exceeding 0 1 6
Absence from recitation, not exceeding 0 1 6
Neglecting analyzing, not exceeding 0 3 0
Bachelors neglecting disputations, not exceeding 0 1 6
Respondents neglecting do. from 1s. 6d. to 0 3 0
Undergraduates out of town without leave, not exceeding 0 2 6
Undergraduates tarrying out of town without leave, not
exceeding _per diem_, 0 1 3
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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