* Lend – You don’t want to look up the OED for the meaning of this one! Probably the one word in our lingo used in a sense more decent than its actual meaning, lend is used as both noun and verb for the apple-polisher and his deeds. It has given rise to popular offshoots such as LML (Last Moment Lending).

* Scopat – As the famous saying goes, “Show me a lend and I’ll show you a scopat.” Scopats are the excessively hopeful or ambitious, and Intra-House Scoping Competitions often go on for entire terms, may be even more – you probably got your Weekly from one of the competitors!

* Hera – The antithesis of the above two, this title gradually reverses the negativity attached with it as one grows up in school. The Dosco hera is the typical lawbreaker – the bolder, the bigger. Little wonder, then, that his philosophy of life is, “Fortune favours the rave,” though some prefer “All roads lead to home.”

* Slime – The merging of the above three produces one example of this reptilian mammal of Doon. Referring to anyone with a greasy character, the popular usage of this term for those who hide their tuck from others has led to the appropriate expansion slimeballs.

* Vella – Noun, verb and adjective for those who do not use their time productively and this act of not doing so, the word has more use than the person it is attached to. However, lack of hard work, dedication and, most importantly, talent in the field of vellapanti at Doon has led to the modified usage of this word for free time.

* Maachis – Technically, a maachis is one who tries to put two people against one another for personal benefits. Maachising is the best way of livening up a boring evening in the MPH, used to spark off an interesting exchange between the two ends of the row. “Let there be fight” is the motto of this breed of Doscos.

* Jam-up – This refers to any sort of mistake or error, the act of committing the above, or the person who does so. Lifetime achievements in this field can also earn one the additional title of unco-ord.

* Tukka – A synonym for fluke, this is the only saviour of poppers in GK Trials, or for the jam-ups on the sports field. It is also the favourite excuse of slimes who end up topping.

* Kallu – The word brings back fond memories of our times in C and B Forms, when giving kallus seemed to be the sole deciding factor of our social hierarchy. Giving a kallu basically means scoring one over a person. Due to a case of widespread melanophobia, however, the usage of this word is gradually fading.

* Bitch – To bitch is to deride someone behind his back, and a bitch is someone who constantly engages in this activity (guess a dog isn’t bad enough). You better watch your own back while you’re doing this, though, or your bitching might produce interesting results!

* Whack – The OED puts this down as slang for ‘share’. The Dosco simply extends the meaning to ‘borrow’ – the permission, of course, is taken for granted. And we all have our share of STMLs (Short-Term Memory Lapses)

* Bust – This is the most essential qualification for being classified as a hera. Busting refers to leaving the school premises illegally, generally done by jumping the wall, though the professionals prefer going through the gate, and the thick ones the wall itself.

* Choke up – This term is used for the dark horse who emerges from nowhere to surprise everyone with his achievements, as well as for the donkey who finally understands the meaning of something said long back. To choke up is to do either of the above two, or to be where you’re expected to be at a given time.

* Don’t die – The first time I heard this phrase, I was about to assure the speaker that his joke wasn’t all that bad when he explained that it was another phrase for ‘just joking’. Generally used after pulling someone’s leg, it makes one wonder whether singing ‘Lab pe aati hai dua’ is beginning to affect us.

* Vado in – Highly recommended as a tactic for irritating people, to vado in is to get yourself in places you are not wanted. It is amazing how one’s mind works when one is devising strategies to vado into a food fiesta. The Dosco, of course, knows that the straight line is the shortest distance…

* Boot – This is the most popular form of vadoing in – into a queue. Be careful you don’t boot your seniors or form-mates though, or you might end up with a boot where you don’t want it.