Modern “snooker”

“The Shop” The story of the Royal Military Academy. By Captain F. G. Guggisberg, R. E., 1900

In the “Records of the R. M. A.” we find a description of the three most popular methods adopted by the “old” cadets in amusing themselves at the expense of the neux, or last-joined (the modern “snooker”).

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It is probable that the expression on the face of the recipient of that kick was not one of gratitude, for the donor remarked:

“’You great hulking snooker, I suppose if you were not a neux you would thrash me?’

“‘Undoubtedly’ was the reply.

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On one occasion “a dark-complexioned, sardonic ‘snooker’ a professed atheist, who made himself conspicuous for blasphemy in a by no means strait-laced community, was appropriately nicknamed ‘the demon.’

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In one of the numerous “bullying” troubles of the time, some of the “snookers” were being questioned as to the origin of their various bruises, and one of them accused Gordon of having struck him with a clothes-brush, but that the blow was a very slight one.

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Those were the days of bullying, and the ‘snookers’— as the two junior batches were termed—had a very hard time of it.

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There were four cadets in each room, the corporal, or ‘head of the room, being in charge; the poor snookers had often a terrible time of it, and were severely fagged and unmercifully thrashed with belts and tennis-bats.

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Etc.