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Boy Bishop

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St. Nicholas. From his cradle he is said to have manifested marvellous indications of piety, and was therefore selected for the patron saint of boys. (Fourth century.)

Boy Bishop. The custom of choosing a boy from the cathedral choir, etc., on St. Nicholas Day (December 6th), as a mock bishop, is very ancient. The boy possessed episcopal honour for three weeks, and the rest of the choir were his prebendaries. If he died during the time of his prelacy, he was buried in pontificaʹlibus. Probably the reference is to Jesus Christ sitting in the Temple among the doctors while He was a boy. The custom was abolished in the reign of Henry VIII.

2

Boy in buttons (A). (See Buttons.)

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Bowse
Bowyer God
Box
Box and Cox
Box the Compass
Box Days
Box Harry (To)
Boxing-Day
Boy
Boy Bachelor
Boy Bishop
Boycott (To)
Boyle Controversy
Boyle’s Law
Boyle Lectures
Boz
Bozzy
Brabançonne
Brabançons
Brace
Brace of Shakes

See Also:

Boy Bishop