"Prelim."--A preliminary examination.

"Pred."--A predecessor.

"Pony."--A key, a corrigé.

"To bone."--To study, to endeavor to do well in any
particular; for instance, to "bone demerits" is to
strive to get as few as possible.

"To bone popularity."--This alludes to a habit
practised, especially by, "yearlings" while in
camp, and is equivalent to our every-day expression
in civil life, viz., "to get in with."

"To bugle it."--To avoid a recitation. To avoid a
recitation is an act seldom done by any cadet. It
is in fact standing at the board during the whole
time of recitation without turning around, and thus
making known a readiness to recite. At the Academy
a bugle takes the place of the bell in civil schools.
When the bugle is blown those sections at recitation
are dismissed, and others come in. Now, if one faces
the board till the bugle blows, there is not then
enough time for him to recite, and he is said to have
"bugled it." Some instructors will call on any one who
shows a disposition to do so, and will require him to
tell what he knows about his subject.

"Busted," "broken."--These words apply only to cadet