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
At the close of a manuscript copy of the laws of Harvard College,
transcribed by Richard Waldron, a graduate of the class of 1738,
when a Freshman, are recorded the following regulations, which
differ from those already cited, not only in arrangement, but in
other respects.
COLLEGE CUSTOMS, ANNO 1734-5.
"1. No Freshman shall ware his hat in the College yard except it
rains, snows, or hails, or he be on horse back or haith both hands
full.
"2. No Freshman shall ware his hat in his Seniors Chamber, or in
his own if his Senior be there.
"3. No Freshman shall go by his Senior, without taking his hat of
if it be on.
"4. No Freshman shall intrude into his Seniors company.
"5. No Freshman shall laugh in his Seniors face.
"6. No Freshman shall talk saucily to his Senior, or speak to him
with his hat on.
"7. No Freshman shall ask his Senior an impertinent question.
"8. Freshmen are to take notice that a Senior Sophister can take a
Freshman from a Sophimore,[28] a Middle Batcelour from a Junior
Sophister, a Master from a Senior Sophister, and a Fellow[29] from
a Master.
"9. Freshmen are to find the rest of the Scholars with bats,
balls, and foot balls.
"10. Freshmen must pay three shillings a peice to the Butler to
have there names set up in the Buttery.
"11. No Freshman shall loiter by the [way] when he is sent of an
errand, but shall make hast and give a direct answer when he is
asked who he is going [for]. No Freshman shall use lying or
equivocation to escape going of an errand.
"12. No Freshman shall tell who [he] is going [for] except he be
asked, nor for what except he be asked by a Fellow.
"13. No Freshman shall go away when he haith been sent of an
errand before he be dismissed, which may be understood by saying,
it is well, I thank you, you may go, or the like.
"14. When a Freshman knocks at his Seniors door he shall tell
[his] name if asked who.
"15. When anybody knocks at a Freshmans door, he shall not aske
who is there, but shall immediately open the door.
"16. No Freshman shall lean at prayrs but shall stand upright.
"17. No Freshman shall call his classmate by the name of Freshmen.
"18. No Freshman shall call up or down to or from his Seniors
chamber or his own.
"19. No Freshman shall call or throw anything across the College
yard.
"20. No Freshman shall mingo against the College wall, nor go into
the Fellows cus john.[30]
"21. Freshmen may ware there hats at dinner and supper, except
when they go to receive there Commons of bread and bear.
"22. Freshmen are so to carry themselves to there Seniors in all
respects so as to be in no wise saucy to them, and who soever of
the Freshmen shall brake any of these customs shall be severely
punished."
Another manuscript copy of these singular regulations bears date
September, 1741, and is entitled,
"THE CUSTOMS OF HARVARD COLLEGE, WHICH IF THE FRESHMEN DON'T
OBSERVE AND OBEY, THEY SHALL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED IF THEY HAVE
HEARD THEM READ."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account