Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

The 'Brew Room', that is present in a few houses - where did this term come from?

Kiff - what is kiff, and where did the name come from?

Is this shoz in a different alias??

Brew rooms, where one could make tea or coffee or toast, covered with flab of course. Installed when the houses were modernised in the '60s.
Kiff iis tea served, naturally, in a kiff bowl!
Happy christmas!

Sorry, this isn't shoz.

What exactly is a kiff bowl?

Are you sure that you are a CH pupil ????

Kiff = tea
ergo, kiff bowl _ bowl in which tea is served ( doh...)

Nyort wrote:Sorry, this isn't shoz.

What exactly is a kiff bowl?

No need to apologise!

In ancient times (well, probably until '60s), kiff was served in bowls instead of mugs.

By the '70s, we were edging ever closer to the modern world, as we were supplied with plastic mugs.

The more 'senior' members here could give you a better description.

Have a look at the 'Housey Slang' thread - lots of stuff there to amuse you.

Richard Ruck wrote:In ancient times (well, probably until '60s), kiff was served in bowls instead of mugs.

By the '70s, we were edging ever closer to the modern world, as we were supplied with plastic mugs.

RR, I think you'll find that bowls were used a lot later than the '70s - my son ( who is 26) , knows the " CH grip" on a bowl, which is proof that he used them !

Euterpe13 wrote:

Richard Ruck wrote:In ancient times (well, probably until '60s), kiff was served in bowls instead of mugs.

By the '70s, we were edging ever closer to the modern world, as we were supplied with plastic mugs.

RR, I think you'll find that bowls were used a lot later than the '70s - my son ( who is 26) , knows the " CH grip" on a bowl, which is proof that he used them !

How strange!

Perhaps they were re-introduced....

Well, they don't use bowls now.

And nobody I know of in CH uses the word 'kiff'.

So does anyone know where the word kiff comes from?
(And if the answer is 'from a kiff bowl', where did the bowl get the name kiff from?)

mr tall wrote:Is this shoz in a different alias??

Brew rooms, where one could make tea or coffee or toast, covered with flab of course. Installed when the houses were modernised in the '60s.
Kiff iis tea served, naturally, in a kiff bowl!
Happy christmas!

Most of the brew room used to be smeared with flab. Lovely!

Nyort wrote:So does anyone know where the word kiff comes from?
(And if the answer is 'from a kiff bowl', where did the bowl get the name kiff from?)

Sorry, can't help you with that one. It probably dates from when the school was in London.

Euterpe13 wrote:Are you sure that you are a CH pupil ????

Kiff = tea
ergo, kiff bowl _ bowl in which tea is served ( doh...)

Yes he`s a pupil - and should know what kiff is from the Squits Test in his first term!!

"Squits test"

What sort of questions are asked?

All sorts of questions about the school traditions, history, daily routine etc, plus identifying the member of staff from their initials, things about uniform, and even the name of a certain Master`s rabbit!!

It`s based on what is learnt about the school in "Discovery" lessons in the first term.
More for fun than anything - prize to highest scorer and also for that person`s Third form "minder" and their Big Friendly Dep!!

At least that`s what has happened in the last few years - and certainly when Nyort came to the school.

I was always told that there was no such thing as a silly question. (ie the questioner doesen't know the answer and therefore needs to ask the question).
On that point I don't know the answer either. Where does the term kiff come from?
Brew room presumably refers to the fact that you "brew" a cup of tea. Although I can't remember anyone using this terminology at CH.

I was told at the time that 'kiff' was a term for cannabis [?] - we used the sugar bowl on the table as a kiff bowl. I know this has been discussed elsewhere but I have very strong memories of people demanding "krug, flab and muck"