'K.O' and Crushes at Hertford

Spoonbill · Post by **Spoonbill** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:54 am

When I was at CH., a mate of mine had a sister at Hertford and I picked up a few details re. the establishment over the years. One of the more memorable things I learned about Hertford CH was the concept of 'K.O.' (i.e. being keen on a fellow female person).

How did this work exactly? And what did it actually signify?

Was it a schoolgirly crush thing? Or did it just mean you admired someone? Was the person you were keen on made aware of the fact that you were keen on them? If so, did they tell you to sod off and be keen on someone else? And were there league tables showing which girls had the most fans? Or would you all have been mortified if the girls you were keen on had actually discovered the fact? Or what?

And did anyone ever end up in the sack with someone they were keen on?

It all sounded rather strange to me at the time. But then I'm not exactly female, am I? I'm a big fat bearded slob, like.

J.R. · Post by **J.R.** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:01 am

WOW SPOONBILL !

What a leading question !

I can't wait for the replies to start flooding in !!!

Euterpe13 · Post by **Euterpe13** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:53 am

We called them " cracks" and the smitten one was a " cracklet" - very useful, actually - I had 3 " cracklets" at one time who used to polish my shoes, carry my books and generally dogsbody... all very giggly and girlish stuff...

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:09 pm

So did I, but none could polish my shoes like I did/do. Though#1son does them very well.

I think we were a bit like queen victoria about the sack thing (well I was anyway) though I am sure (we were pretty average after all) some batted for the opposition.

Jude · Post by **Jude** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:40 pm

I was a "cracklet" to someone - and had a cracklet as well - all it involved was the odd passing of notes and the odd chat - nothing about getting into sacks - I thought that was done at primary school in the sack race???

Katharine · Post by **Katharine** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:26 pm

I have no recollection of the term KO, it may have been restricted to a particular house. Cracks yes - don't remember the term cracklet either.

Jude · Post by **Jude** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:32 pm

Katharine wrote:I have no recollection of the term KO, it may have been restricted to a particular house. Cracks yes - don't remember the term cracklet either.

I don't remember KO either - we had cracks and crackletts!

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:19 pm

Yep - I remember cracks & cracklets. Remember that if you were cracked on someone you were expected to buy birthday & Xmas presents for them, hence a lot of "de-cracking" would go on in December

It was also common practice to have a crush on an older girl as well

I had one

Remember turning beetroot every time this particular girl even looked in my direction

DavebytheSea · Post by **DavebytheSea** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 7:44 am

Vonny wrote:It was also common practice to have a crush on an older girl as well I had one Remember turning beetroot every time this particular girl even looked in my direction

How sweet!

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:59 am

Did anything like this happen in Horsham?

DavebytheSea · Post by **DavebytheSea** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:13 am

Great Plum wrote:Did anything like this happen in Horsham?

ah! well that's another story!

Somehow that which is innocent enough in a girls only establishment becomes rife with sexual innuendo in a boys' boarding establishment!

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:30 am

I thought that might be the response!!

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:25 am

Being cracked on someone was somewhere between being a fag (as in a boys school rather than the US meaning) and having a crush. I don't remember KO either.

J.R. · Post by **J.R.** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 12:55 pm

I'm with DBTS on this one, as in our day/s, girls and women were a weird species, generally only encountered during school holidays, wot wiv CH being a one sex school, and even fraternisation with the generally Spanish and Italian female kitchen staff could result in dire consequences.

Hence, I think the term 'Nuff Said' seems apt here !

Jude · Post by **Jude** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:16 pm

Men still are a weird species JR - !!