[f. FRESH a. + MAN.]
1. A newcomer; a novice; a ‘new hand.’ Used by Cheke for † a proselyte.
c. 1550. Cheke, Matt. xxiii. 15. Ie go about both bi see and land to maak oon freschman.
a. 1627. Middleton, More Dissemblers, II. iv. I’ll trust no freshman with such secrets.
1679. Burnet, Hist. Ref., I. 490. Cranmer was an old and experienced captain, and was not to be troubled by fresh-men and novices.
1708. Royal Proclam., 26 June in Lond. Gaz., No. 4452/2. The Masters of Fishing-Ships … do neglect to produce Certificates of their Compliments of Green Men or Fresh Men.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), II. II. i. 89.
| Shy and unsophisticated, | |
| I as honest freshman waited. |
attrib. 1833. Whewell, in Todhunter, Acct. Whewell’s Writ. (1876), II. 164. We freshman reviewers are too serious for Lockhart.
2. A student during his first year, esp. his first term, at a University.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, 4. When he was but yet a freshman in Cambridge.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., Gentl. of Univ. (Arb.), 44. The two markes of his Senioritie, is the bare Veluet of his gowne, and his proficiencie at Tennis, where when hee can once play a Set, he is a Fresh-man no more.
1682. Shadwell, Lanc. Witches, I. B j b.
| I will advise and teach your Master of Artship | |
| (That made you Lord it over Boys and Freshmen). |
1782. M. Cutler, in Life, Jrnls. & Corr. (1888), II. 206. The admission of so large a class of Freshmen the last year, considering the present state of the country, is matter of agreeable surprise.
1853. ‘C. Bede,’ Verdant Green, iii. Freshmen cannot learn the mysteries of college etiquette in a day.
b. Comb. as freshman-class U.S., ‘the lowest of the four classes in an American college (Webster, 1890); freshman-sophomore U.S. (see quot. 1851) also shortened fresh-soph(omore).
1847. Yale Lit. Mag., Jan. XII. 114. I was a Fresh-Sophomore then, and a waiter in the commons’ hall.
1851. B. H. Hall, College Words, Fresh-soph. An abbreviation of Freshman-Sophomore. One who enters college in the Sophomore year, having passed the time of the Freshman year elsewhere.
Hence Freshmanhood, the condition or state of a freshman; the period during which it lasts; Freshmanic a., of or pertaining to a freshman; † Freshmanly a. = prec.; Freshmanship = freshmanhood; also humorous, the personality of a freshman.
1568. C. Watson, Polyb., To Rdr. Thus I put forth this my freshmanly enterprise.
1605. B. Jonson, Volpone, IV. i. (Rtldg.) 195/2.
| Well, wise sir Pol, since you have practised thus | |
| Upon my freshman-ship, I’ll try your salt-head, | |
| What proof it is against a counter-plot. |
1617. Hales. Hales, Sermon, Rem. (1688), 7. Instead of a Post, this young Fencer hath set himself up one of the deepest Mysteries of our Profession, to practise his Freshmanship upon.
c. 1741. Brainerd, in Edwards, Life, i. (1851), 15. By reason of hard and close studies, and being much exposed on account of my freshmanship, I had but little time for spiritual duties.
1837. Lowell, Lett. (1894), I. 21. Those days of Freshmanic innocence.
1848. J. H. Newman, Loss & Gain, 4. What they had in common was freshmanship, good talents, and the back staircase.
1876. Ruskin, Fors Clav., VI. lxvi. 192. To do a little bit of rough work in Yorkshire that I might not torment Mr. Baker with his freshmanship.
1885. Macm. Mag., LIII. Nov. 29/1. Then would he walk into Trinity to see if the snap-dragon still grew on its walls, as it grew in the Freshmanhood of John Henry Newman.
