Fiona Grant
RE: swotting, swatting not just dances
March 7, 2006, 7:57 p.m. (Message 44533)
Becky writes about swotting and its misuse as a word. I'm not sure I follow
her down the "wrong" track.
Most people I know have at one time or another swotted up on dances, and
most appropriately given the word's origin!
From the O.E.D.:
intr. To work hard at one's studies; to bone up. Also trans., to get up,
mug up (a subject); more rarely, without up.
[Dialectal variant of SWEAT n.
According to a contributor to N. & Q. 1st Ser. I. 369/2, the term originated
at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in the use on one occasion of the
expression It mades one swot (= sweat) by the Scotch professor of
mathematics, William Wallace.]
1860 Slang Dict. (ed. 2), Swot,..to work hard for an examination, to be
diligent in one's studies. Army. 1866 [see prec. 2]. 1899 E. PHILLPOTTS
Human Boy 120 He was swatting like anything in play-hours for a special Old
Testament history prize. 1901 Chambers's Jrnl. July 445/2 Dick was
swotting blue china for all he was worth, at the British Museum and
elsewhere. 1908 Athenæum 25 July 93/2 It is the case that boys deliberately
set themselves to slack or swot for longer or shorter periods. 1913
Wireless World I. 37/2 There will be a chance for fellows like me, who have
been swatting up Fleming's books. 1931 R. CAMPBELL Georgiad i. 18 All
who..of despair have baulked the yawning precipice By swotting up his
melancholy recipes For happiness. 1955 Times 26 May 13/2 Mr. Forester must
have swotted up the subject of wartime Atlantic convoys just as he
swotted up the subject of the Navy in Nelson's time. 1967 K. GILES Death
in Diamonds vi. 114 Been swatting the maps, I see. 1977 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 23
June 8/2 Our culture hound..swots up in the Encyclopedia before
distinguished guests arrive.
Taken from our trusty friend, the Oxford English Dictionary.
Fyi and edification. Was first edited by a Scot, James Murray
More details: http://www.aidanbell.com/html/hkbell/Murray.htm
Fiona
Still being pedantic in Bristol, UK.