A Collection of College Words and Customs Part 23

CUE, KUE, Q. A small portion of bread or beer; a term formerly current in both the English universities, the letter q being the mark in the b.u.t.tery books to denote such a piece. Q would seem to stand for _quadrans_, a farthing; but Minsheu says it was only half that sum, and thus particularly explains it: "Because they set down in the battling or b.u.t.terie bookes in Oxford and Cambridge, the letter q for half a farthing; and in Oxford when they make that cue or q a farthing, they say, _cap my q_, and make it a farthing, thus, [Symbol: small q with a line over]. But in Cambridge they use this letter, a little f; thus, f, or thus, s, for a farthing." He translates it in Latin _calculus panis_. Coles has, "A _cue_ [half a farthing] minutum."--_Nares's Glossary_.

"A cue of bread," says Halliwell, "is the fourth part of a half-penny crust. A cue of beer, one draught."

J. Woods, under-butler of Christ Church, Oxon, said he would never sitt capping of _cues_.--_Urry's MS._ add. to Ray.

You are still at Cambridge with size _kue_.--_Orig. of Dr._, III.

p. 271.

He never drank above size _q_ of Helicon.--_Eachard, Contempt of Cl._, p. 26.

"_Cues_ and _cees_," says Nares, "are generally mentioned together, the _cee_ meaning a small measure of beer; but why, is not equally explained." From certain pa.s.sages in which they are used interchangeably, the terms do not seem to have been well defined.

Hee [the college butler] domineers over freshmen, when they first come to the hatch, and puzzles them with strange language of _cues_ and _cees_, and some broken Latin, which he has learnt at his bin.--_Earle's Micro-cosmographie_, (1628,) Char. 17.

The word _cue_ was formerly used at Harvard College. Dr. Holyoke, who graduated in 1746, says, the "breakfast was two sizings of bread and a _cue_ of beer." Judge Wingate, who graduated thirteen years after, says: "We were allowed at dinner a _cue_ of beer, which was a half-pint."

It is amusing to see, term after term, and year after year, the formal votes, pa.s.sed by this venerable body of seven ruling and teaching elders, regulating the price at which a _cue_ (a half-pint) of cider, or a _sizing_ (ration) of bread, or beef, might be sold to the student by the butler.--_Eliot's Sketch of Hist. Harv. Coll._, p. 70.

CUP. Among the English Cantabs, "an odious mixture ... compounded of spice and cider."--_Westminster Rev._, Am. ed., Vol. x.x.xV. p.

239.

CURL. In the University of Virginia, to make a perfect recitation; to overwhelm a Professor with student learning.

CUT. To be absent from; to neglect. Thus, a person is said to "_cut_ prayers," to "_cut_ lecture," &c. Also, to "_cut_ Greek" or "Latin"; i.e. to be absent from the Greek or Latin recitation.

Another use of the word is, when one says, "I _cut_ Dr. B----, or Prof. C----, this morning," meaning that he was absent from their exercises.

Prepare to _cut_ recitations, _cut_ prayers, _cut_ lectures,--ay, to _cut_ even the President himself.--_Oration before H.L. of I.O.

of O.F._ 1848.

Next morn he _cuts_ his maiden prayer, to his last night's text abiding.--_Poem before Y.H. of Harv. Coll._, 1849.

As soon as we were Seniors, We _cut_ the morning prayers, We showed the Freshmen to the door, And helped them down the stairs.

_Presentation Day Songs_, June 15, 1854.

We speak not of individuals but of majorities, not of him whose ambition is to "_cut_" prayers and recitations so far as possible.

--_Williams Quarterly_, Vol. II. p. 15.

The two rudimentary lectures which he was at first forced to attend, are now pressed less earnestly upon his notice. In fact, he can almost entirely "_cut_" them, if he likes, and does _cut_ them accordingly, as a waste of time,--_Household Words_, Vol. II.

p. 160.

_To cut dead_, in student use, to neglect entirely.

I _cut_ the Algebra and Trigonometry papers _dead_ my first year, and came out seventh.--_Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ._, Ed. 2d, p. 51.

This word is much used in the University of Cambridge, England, as appears from the following extract from a letter in the Gentleman's Magazine, written with reference to some of the customs there observed:--"I remarked, also, that they frequently used the words _to cut_, and to sport, in senses to me totally unintelligible. A man had been cut in chapel, cut at afternoon lectures, cut in his tutor's rooms, cut at a concert, cut at a ball, &c. Soon, however, I was told of men, _vice versa_, who cut a figure, _cut_ chapel, _cut_ gates, _cut_ lectures, _cut_ hall, _cut_ examinations, cut particular connections; nay, more, I was informed of some who _cut_ their tutors!"--_Gent. Mag._, 1794, p.

1085.

The instances in which the verb _to cut_ is used in the above extract without Italics, are now very common both in England and America.

_To cut Gates_. To enter college after ten o'clock,--the hour of shutting them.--_Gradus ad Cantab._, p. 40.

CUT. An omission of a recitation. This phrase is frequently heard: "We had a cut to-day in Greek," i.e. no recitation in Greek.

Again, "Prof. D---- gave us a cut," i.e. he had no recitation. A correspondent from Bowdoin College gives, in the following sentence, the manner in which this word is there used:--"_Cuts_.

When a cla.s.s for any reason become dissatisfied with one of the Faculty, they absent themselves from his recitation, as an expression of their feelings"

_D_.

D.C.L. An abbreviation for _Doctor Civilis Legis_, Doctor in Civil Law. At the University of Oxford, England, this degree is conferred four years after receiving the degree of B.C.L. The exercises are three lectures. In the University of Cambridge, England, a D.C.L. must be a B.C.L. of five years' standing, or an M.A. of seven years' standing, and must have kept two acts.

D.D. An abbreviation of _Divinitatis Doctor_, Doctor in Divinity.

At the University of Cambridge, England, this degree is conferred on a B.D. of five, or an M.A. of twelve years' standing. The exercises are one act, two opponencies, a clerum, and an English sermon. At Oxford it is given to a B.D. of four, or a regent M.A.

of eleven years' standing. The exercises are three lectures. In American colleges this degree is honorary, and is conferred _pro meritis_ on those who are distinguished as theologians.

DEAD. To be unable to recite; to be ignorant of the lesson; to declare one's self unprepared to recite.

Be ready, in fine, to cut, to drink, to smoke, to _dead_.--_Oration before H.L. of I.O. of O.F._, 1848.

I see our whole lodge desperately striving to _dead_, by doing that hardest of all work, nothing.--_Ibid._, 1849.

_Transitively_; to cause one to fail in reciting. Said of a teacher who puzzles a scholar with difficult questions, and thereby causes him to fail.

Have I been screwed, yea, _deaded_ morn and eve, Some dozen moons of this collegiate life, And not yet taught me to philosophize?

_Harvardiana_, Vol. III. p. 255.

DEAD. A complete failure; a declaration that one is not prepared to recite.

One must stand up in the singleness of his ignorance to understand all the mysterious feelings connected with a _dead_.--_Harv.

Reg._, p. 378.

And fearful of the morrow's screw or _dead_, Takes book and candle underneath his bed.

_Cla.s.s Poem, by B.D. Winslow, at Harv. Coll._, 1835, p. 10.

He, unmoved by Freshman's curses, Loves the _deads_ which Freshmen make.--_MS. Poem_.

But oh! what aching heads had they!

What _deads_ they perpetrated the succeeding day.--_Ibid._

It was formerly customary in many colleges, and is now in a few, to talk about "taking a dead."