Sconcing
Encyclopedia
Sconcing is a tradition at Oxford University
of demanding that a person drink a tankard
of ale or some other alcoholic beverage as a penalty for some breach of accepted etiquette
. Originally the penalty would have been a simple monetary fine imposed for a more serious breach of discipline, and the word is known to have been used in this sense as early as 1617.
Minor offences for which a sconce might have been imposed included talking at dinner about women, religion, politics or one's work, referring to the portraits hung in the college hall
, or making an error in the pronunciation of the Latin
Grace
. Major offences for which a sconce might have been imposed included the "snaking" of a more senior crew member's date.
or Ancient Greek
). Should their request be granted a large vessel, usually full of beer, would be called for and the offender would have to attempt to drink it down in one go (perhaps while standing on the table). The amount of a sconce varied from two pints at Corpus
, Oriel or Jesus
, up to three and three quarter pints at Keble
. Several colleges retain impressive antique "sconce pots" in their silver
collections.
In the event that a person failed to drain his sconce, he was generally required to pay for the contents. It is possible therefore that the tradition developed as a way of allowing a "sporting chance" to those who would otherwise be fined for a relatively minor offence. It was also once relatively common for the sconced person to choose to share the contents of the sconce with their neighbours at table, thereby making amends to the "victims" of the original breach of good manners.
The customs of a) passing around the sconce pot and b) imposing its cost on the person who tries and fails to drain it both survive at Mory's Temple Bar
in New Haven
, Connecticut
, USA, across York Street from the central campus of Yale
.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
of demanding that a person drink a tankard
Tankard
A tankard is a form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. Tankards are usually made of silver, pewter, or glass, but can be made of other materials, for example wood, ceramic or leather. A tankard may have a hinged lid, and tankards featuring...
of ale or some other alcoholic beverage as a penalty for some breach of accepted etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
. Originally the penalty would have been a simple monetary fine imposed for a more serious breach of discipline, and the word is known to have been used in this sense as early as 1617.
Minor offences for which a sconce might have been imposed included talking at dinner about women, religion, politics or one's work, referring to the portraits hung in the college hall
Great hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
, or making an error in the pronunciation of the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Grace
Grace (prayer)
Grace is a name for any of a number of short prayers said or an unvoiced intention held prior to or after eating, thanking God and/or the entities that have given of themselves to furnish nutrients to those partaking in the meal. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving imparts a blessing...
. Major offences for which a sconce might have been imposed included the "snaking" of a more senior crew member's date.
History
The power to impose a sconce was not originally given to all present at a dinner. It might instead have been reserved for the person presiding on High Table, or perhaps the senior Scholar or other undergraduate at each table. Anyone feeling a sconce was deserved would be required to ask for its imposition (often in a "scholarly" language such as LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
or Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
). Should their request be granted a large vessel, usually full of beer, would be called for and the offender would have to attempt to drink it down in one go (perhaps while standing on the table). The amount of a sconce varied from two pints at Corpus
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, Oriel or Jesus
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, up to three and three quarter pints at Keble
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
. Several colleges retain impressive antique "sconce pots" in their silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
collections.
In the event that a person failed to drain his sconce, he was generally required to pay for the contents. It is possible therefore that the tradition developed as a way of allowing a "sporting chance" to those who would otherwise be fined for a relatively minor offence. It was also once relatively common for the sconced person to choose to share the contents of the sconce with their neighbours at table, thereby making amends to the "victims" of the original breach of good manners.
The customs of a) passing around the sconce pot and b) imposing its cost on the person who tries and fails to drain it both survive at Mory's Temple Bar
Mory's
Mory’s, known also as Mory’s Temple Bar, is a private club adjacent to the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, founded in 1849 and housed in a clubhouse that was originally a private home built some time before 1817...
in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA, across York Street from the central campus of Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
.