British Degree Nicknames

Based on colloquial rhyming slang, British undergraduate honours degree classifications have gained a number of common nicknames, based on the names of various well known current and historical figures. The following is a summary of these.

Class	Nickname^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]	Source of Nickname
1st	Geoff, Patty or Damien	World Cup 1966 England footballer Geoff Hurst, heiress and kidnap victim Patty Hearst, or artist Damien Hirst.
2:1	Attila, Don or Trevor	Attila the Hun, Don Juan or Trevor Nunn (after the famous theatre director).
2:2	Desmond	South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Also referred to as a Drinker's or Boozer's Degree (origin unknown).
3rd	Douglas, Thora, Richard, Gentleman's Degree, Vorderman	Douglas after 1980s British Home Secretary Douglas Hurd (who actually gained first class honours), Thora after actress Thora Hird, Richard after King Richard III, Gentleman's Degree (unknown) or a Vorderman after Countdown television celebrity Carol Vorderman, who achieved third class grades in all her years at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
Pass	-	-
Fail	Dan^[5]	Dan after the 44th Vice President of the United States, Dan Quayle.

References

↑ "Don't worry about getting a 2:2 degree - Employers seem not to be bothered". 3 September 2015. http://metro.co.uk/2015/09/03/dont-worry-about-getting-a-22-degree-employers-seem-not-to-be-bothered-5374215/.
↑ Ormerod, Peter (22 July 2015). "There’s nothing wrong with a 2:2 degree. It may even be good for you - Peter Ormerod". https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/22/2-2-degree-desmond-good-employers.
↑ "PARTY DEGREE". http://studentsagainstdepression.org/2011/05/29/party-degree/.
↑ Puxley, Ray (17 June 2004). "More Cockney Rabbit: A Dick'n'arry of Rhyming Slang". Robson Books Ltd. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KcOIIfBYrHYC&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=patty+hearst+first+class+honours+degree&source=bl&ots=nvqbAI85Hr&sig=OkNKe8-VEasOa9xoqzyFLlGZDdk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj72oKPprfcAhVDCMAKHQv3BmkQ6AEwBnoECAAQAQ#v=onepage&q=patty hearst first class honours degree&f=false.
↑ "How to get a 'Geoff Hurst' in slang at university". 8 December 2000. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1377510/How-to-get-a-Geoff-Hurst-in-slang-at-university.html.

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[1] "Don't worry about getting a 2:2 degree - Employers seem not to be bothered". 3 September 2015. http://metro.co.uk/2015/09/03/dont-worry-about-getting-a-22-degree-employers-seem-not-to-be-bothered-5374215/.

[2] Ormerod, Peter (22 July 2015). "There’s nothing wrong with a 2:2 degree. It may even be good for you - Peter Ormerod". https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/22/2-2-degree-desmond-good-employers.

[3] "PARTY DEGREE". http://studentsagainstdepression.org/2011/05/29/party-degree/.

[4] Puxley, Ray (17 June 2004). "More Cockney Rabbit: A Dick'n'arry of Rhyming Slang". Robson Books Ltd. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KcOIIfBYrHYC&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=patty+hearst+first+class+honours+degree&source=bl&ots=nvqbAI85Hr&sig=OkNKe8-VEasOa9xoqzyFLlGZDdk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj72oKPprfcAhVDCMAKHQv3BmkQ6AEwBnoECAAQAQ#v=onepage&q=patty hearst first class honours degree&f=false.

[5] "How to get a 'Geoff Hurst' in slang at university". 8 December 2000. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1377510/How-to-get-a-Geoff-Hurst-in-slang-at-university.html.