humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare

James Hogg wrote:
> The situation is authentic, but I myself never indulged in fags. I was
> more interested in doing my prep. The hard lads blowing on their
> woodies gave me a tanner to keep cave.
>
> Does any American have the faintest idea what I meant by:
>
> "I myself went to a grammar school, where I got a very good education,
> especially when enjoying a fag behind the bike sheds together with the
> hooker of the house fifteen."

I understand it all, except that I don't know enough about rugby to know
the precise definition of "hooker". I also got all of the other one,
except for "woodies" -- but I'm not even sure that "woodies" is British;
Mary Jane, as we used to say back in the dear old days of mods and
rockers, is not my scene.

--
John W. Kennedy
...who once attended a school that had been founded as a Grammar School
(in the British sense) in 1820.