Title:"Local Phrases," The North Carolina
University Magazine 1(April 1852): 128: Electronic
Edition.
Author: No Author
Editor: Erika Lindemann
Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the
electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by
Erika Lindemann
Images scanned by
Mara E. Dabrishus
Text encoded by
Brian Dietz
First Edition,
2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 11K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005
The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American
South.
Languages used in the text:
English
Revision history:
2005-04-20, Brian Dietz finished TEI/XML encoding.
Part of a series:
This transcribed document is part of a digital collection, titled True and Candid
Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North
Carolina
written by
Lindemann, Erika
Source(s):
Title of article: "Local Phrases,"
Title of serial: The North Carolina University Magazine 1 (April 1852):
128
Editor: Barnes, W. D., et. al
Description: 1 page, 1 page image
Note:
Call number C378 UQm 1852 c.2 (North
Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill)
Topics covered: Education/UNC Student Life Examples of Student Writing/Literary Magazines
Editorial practices The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of
the TEI in Libraries Guidelines. Transcript of magazine article. Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved. DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access. Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the
text. Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the
trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line. Letters, words and passages marked as deleted or added in originals
have been encoded accordingly. All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed
as entity references. All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ". All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '. All em dashes are encoded as —. Indentation in lines has not been preserved.
For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions,
see Dr. Erika Lindemann's explanation under the section Editorial Practices.
Document Summary
An article in The North Carolina University
Magazine defines several examples of college slang: boot lick, rush, a bust, glister, pape, devilment, bore, fess, flying around, latest agony, and
I s'picion.
"Local Phrases," The North Carolina University Magazine 1,
(April 1852): 128.1
No Author
Page 128
LOCAL PHRASES
"BOOT LICK"—signifying, to curry favor, in view
"a better showing in the next report":
"To bend the suppliant knee,
That thrift may follow fawning."2
"RUSH"—a gross ignorance of a lesson manifested; an
affectionate "standing to" at the black board.
"A BUST"—the act of giving free vent to the
hilarous feelings; immoderate dissipation of any kind, accompanied with a
recklessness; a running a horse through the street; a boisterous noise.
"GLISTER"—a proclaimed incapacity to proceed with
the class without a "making up" of deficiencies, and an increase of
diligence; a disapproval.
"PAPE"—to copy at the black board unobserved, either
from book or manuscript; a safeguard against "glister";
Then came a direful struggle
'Twixt conscience and inclination,
Whether to "pape" my way was
right,
And thus to reach my destination.—
"ZEKE."
"DEVILMENT" (a modification of "Bust,")—a
sudden and temporary predominance of the evil spirit; a ringing of the bell by
night; a rocking3 of
the Tutors (this is called "a-h—l-of-a-devilment"); applauding
in the college chapel; impudence to Professors; this word has become obsolete
with Juniors and Seniors.
"BORE"—to annoy excessively by your presence, your
conversation, or speeches; to be unmerciful in the frequency and length of your
visits; some are bored by themselves, through want of something to
do—(very generally used.)
"FESS"—an acknowledged impreparation on a lesson; an
indirect proposition to "make up."
"FLYING AROUND"—a frisky and constant attention;
affected politeness, for the purpose of ingratiating ourselves; a
mannerism;—used often in the sense of "boot lick."
"LATEST AGONY"—the last issue of
Broadway
fashions; a new
Parisian"stripe;" (more extensively) any inovation on custom.
"I S'PICION"—I am penetrating your manœuvres;
I see the drift of your argument or your intention; I understand; "I smell
a rat."
2.
William
Shakespeare,
Hamlet III.ii (1603), : "No, let
the candied tongue [lick] absurd pomp,/And crook the pregnant hinges of the
knee/Where thrift may follow [fawning]."
3. "rocking": throwing rocks, usually at the recitation
room or dormitory window.