Mortarboard

Recorded live at the Oxford Playhouse on Sunday 9th October 2021.  

Gyles and Susie explore the wordy world of Universities as they return to their University home of Oxford.   

Come discover what seminars have in common with semen, how gold tassels gave us the term ’Toff’, why the mortarboard and the pestle & mortar are linked and Susie shares the ultimate excuse for bunking off class early to go for a drink down The White Rabbit (an Oxford pub named after Oxford resident, Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland).  

Gyles teaches Susie what it means to 'sport one's oak' and Susie shares some further sporting references revealing why chess boards and dominoes are also linked to University life.  

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Enjoy Susie’s Trio for the week:  

Peristeronic - of or relating to pigeons. 

Hirquiticke - horny teenager 

Backspang - a loophole that allows you to renege on a deal.   

Gyles read ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll   

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves       

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: 

All mimsy were the borogoves,       

And the mome raths outgrabe.  

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!       

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! 

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun       

The frumious Bandersnatch!”  

He took his vorpal sword in hand;       

Long time the manxome foe he sought— 

So rested he by the Tumtum tree       

And stood awhile in thought.  

And, as in uffish thought he stood,       

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, 

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,       

And burbled as it came!  

One, two! One, two! 

And through and through       

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head       

He went galumphing back.  

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?       

Come to my arms, my beamish boy! 

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”       

He chortled in his joy.  

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves       

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: 

All mimsy were the borogoves,       

And the mome raths outgrabe.   

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