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). Probably because the work required to get a first or a 2:1 does not allow for much time in the student bar.
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

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.

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