Bookmaker's Pocket, subs. (sporting).—A breast-pocket made inside the waistcoat, for notes of large amount.—Hotten.—See Bookmaker.
Books, subs. (card-players').—1.
A pack of cards. A term used
mainly by professional card-players.
Also called devil's
books; book of broads; book
of briefs. The French equivalent
is un juge de paix; while
une cartouchière à portées is a
prepared pack used by sharpers.
1706. Mrs. Centlivre, Basset Table, IV., ii., wks. (1872) I., 245.
L. Revel. Clean cards here.
Mrs. Sago. Burn this book, 't has an unlucky air [tears them]. Bring some more books.
2. (Winchester College.)—(a.) The prizes formerly presented by Lord Say and Sele, now given by the governing body, to the 'Senior' in each division at the end of 'Half.' (b.) The school is thus divided:—Sixth Book—Senior and Junior Division; the whole of the rest of the School is in Fifth Book—Senior Part, Middle Part, Junior Part, each part being divided into so many divisions, Senior, Middle and Junior, or Senior, 2nd, 3rd and Junior, as the case may require. Formerly there was also 'Fourth Book,' but it ceased to exist about twenty-five years ago.
1876. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 104. The school was divided into three classes, or books, as they were called. Of these, the Præfects formed one, Sixth Book; Fifth Book was sub-divided into three parts, called respectively, 'Senior, Middle, and Junior part of the Fifth'; in speaking of them, the words, 'of the Fifth ' were generally omitted. The rest of the boys made up 'Fourth Book.'
(c.) Up at books.—In class; repeating lessons; now called Up to books.
1876. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 101. At each end of school are three tiers of benches rising gradually one above the other,—that on the ground being called 'Senior Row,' and the others Middle,' and 'Junior Row' respectively. On these the Classes sit when 'up at books,' i.e., when repeating lessons.
(d.) Books chambers.—Explained by quotation.
1876. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 103. On Remedies (a kind of whole holiday), we also went into School in the morning and afternoon for an hour or two without masters; this was called books chambers; and on Sundays, from four till a quarter to five.
(e) To get or make books.—To make the highest score at anything. Cf., Books, sense 2a.
Bookwork, subs. (University).—Mathematics
that can be learned
verbatim from books—all that
are not problems.
Boom.—This word is a comparatively
recent production in its
slang sense; and is variously
used as a substantive or as a
verb. Before particularizing its
special usages, it may be interesting
to note how, within a
few years, it has made its appearance
in a variety of combinations;
as, 'the whole State
is booming for Smith,' or 'the
boys have whooped up the
State to boom for Smith,' or
'the Smith boom is ahead in
this State,' etc., etc. Stocks
and money are said to be
booming when active; and any
particular spot within a flourishing
district is regarded as
within the boom-belt. A
successful team or party is said
to be a booming squad, and we
