Oxford Slang

A fashion developed in the late 19th century among Oxford undergraduates for abbreviating words and adding the suffix “–er” to make new catchwords and slang expressions. It is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School. In later years it extended in more general usage among the British public. Popular examples included:

Adders – Addison’s Walk, Magdalen College

Aggerbagger – Archbishop

Agnogger – Agnostic

All Soggers – All Souls College

Athanagers Craggers – Athanasian Creed

Bagger-stagger-bagger-pagger – Basingstoke bypass (later 20th century coinage)

Bathers – Bathing trunks

Bedders – Staff who change bed linen and clean rooms at Cambridge University

Benders – Benediction

Blashers – Colonel John Blashford-Snell CBE, intrepid explorer and author, founder of Operation Raleigh, a youth expedition organisation.

Blower – Telephone; originally Naval slang for the speaking-tube connecting the bridge and engine- room

Boater – Gentleman’s rigid straw boating hat

Bodder – Bodleian Library

Bonners – Bonfire

Brekker – Breakfast

Brenners – The Brenner Pass. “Brenners to you” was an insult hurled by Peter Rodd, the husband of Nancy Mitford, at a distinguished Italian to whom he had lost at Bridge, apparently alluding to an Italian military defeat during the First World War.

Bullers – Bulldogs (university police)

Bumpers – Bumps races in rowing

Compers – Compline

Coronaggers – Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953

Coster – Something expensive

Cuppers – Intercollegiate sporting trophies

Divvers – Divinity pass exam

Drummer – Chicken drumstick

Eccer – Exercise (Uppingham School slang)

Fiver – Five pound note

Floater – Floating grandstand at Henley Royal Regatta

Footer – Football

Fresher – Freshman, a first-year student at Oxford or Cambridge

Godders – Godfrey Smith, bon vivant, gentleman journalist, editor of the Sunday Times Magazine and champion of Jilly Cooper

Gulpers – Diluted rum (Royal Navy)

Honkers – Hong-Kong

Hugger-Commuger – Holy Communion

Indejaggers – Indigestion

Jaggers – Jesus College

Kingers – Kingsley Amis

Leavers – Photographic portraits of pupils leaving Eton College

Maggers Memoggers – Martyrs’ Memorial

Mainers – Main course

Pragger-Wagger – the Prince of Wales

Proggers – Proctors (university officials)

Radders – Radcliffe Camera (library)

Rattler – A rickety vehicle or cart, later a train

Redders – Red wine

Rugger – Rugby UnionSippers – Neat rum (Royal Navy)

Sitter – A sitting duck or easy target

Sligger – Nickname of Francis Fortescue Urquhart, fellow of Balliol College. It derived from a description of him as the “sleek one”.

St Alyoggers – St Aloysius’s (church)

Smudger – A photographer

Spadger – A sparrow

Staggers – St Stephen’s House (theological college)

Stanners – St Anne’s College

Starter – First course at lunch or dinner

Swimmers – Swimming costume

Tenner – Ten pound noteThe

Giler – St Giles Street

Toggers – Torpids (rowing races)

Wagger-pagger-bagger – Waste paper basket

Whiters – White wine

Wickers – Wycliffe Hall (theological college)

Wuggers – Worcester College

At the height of the fad in 1893 Oscar Wilde met an undergraduate, Alfred Hamilton Grant, who was familiarly known as Gragger. Wilde exclaimed simply: “This is dreadful”.

Fictional examples from Peter Simple’s “Way of the World” column in the Daily Telegraph:

Boffers – Bousfield, head steward of the Old Thanateum Club, Pall Mall

Dubbers – Doubleday, head porter at the Old Thanateum Club

Floggers – Philologists

Gappers – Major “Jock” Gapwright-Jones, secretary of the Old Thanateum Club

Joggers – Geographer

Jollers – Geologists Mollers

Fizzers – Molecular physicists

Sanners – Sandwichmen

Thanners – Old Thanateum Club

Recent cricketing examples:

Aggers – Jonathan Agnew (commentator, TMS)

Backers – Peter Baxter (producer, TMS)

Bearders – Bill Frindall (scorer, TMS)

Blowers – Henry Blofeld (commentator, TMS)

Jenkers – Christopher Martin Jenkins (commentator, TMS, usually known as CMJ)

Johnners – Brian Johnston (commentator, TMS)

McCrackers – Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie (captain, Hampshire CC, also known as Ingers) McGillers – Alan McGilvray (commentator, TMS)

Tuffers – Phil Tufnell (commentator, TMS)

Wooders – John Woodcock (chief cricket correspondent of The Times)