Dictionary

ekker en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɛkə(ɹ)/ (UK)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From exercise + -er (“Oxford -er”).

Meanings

1. (UK, qualifier:school slang, uncountable) Physical activity intended to improve strength and fitness.
   • "Give me ekker," said Beatrice contemptuously. "There's no ekker in biking that I can see." 1920, Edmée Elizabeth Monica Delafield, The Heel of Achilles, New York: Macmillan, published 1921, page 63:
   • New bugs at Winchester can still buy Winchester Notions, which lists the school’s slang. Invaluable if you want to translate something like ‘First-year boys, not in college but keen on exercise, will take part in the cross-house matches after half-term, before evening prep, under the supervision of all masters, the governing body, and the two joint heads of school.’ In Winchester slang, that reads, ‘For Commoners looking for Ekker, Winkies in Cloister Time for the Junior Part will be held after Leave Out, before Toytime, in the presence of all Dons, the Go. Bo., the Aul. Prae and the Sen. Co. Prae.’ 2013 September 7, Harry Mount, “Public-school slang continues to thrive, particularly in rural boarding schools”, in The Spectator, retrieved 13 Jun 2017:
   • I hated sport, ekker, games, whatever they wanted to call it. And it was a fuck sight harder to get off ekker at Uppingham than it had been at prep school. 1997, Stephen Fry, Moab is My Washpot, page 183:
2. (UK, qualifier:school slang, uncountable) Scholastic activity designed to develop or hone academic skills.
3. (Australia, Ireland, broadly, qualifier:school slang, uncountable) Homework.
   • The dog ate my ekker. 2015 September 19, hinault, “Chirch membership discussion”, in Boards.ie, retrieved 13 Jun 2017:

Forms