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Keep cavey

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on July 11, 2005

In Reply to: Keep cavey Posted by J jones on July 11, 2005

: does anyone know the origin of the phrase "keep cavey" (i.e. keep a lookout for someone)?

It's properly spelt "cave", which is Latin for "Beware!" It is British public-schoolboy slang (n.b. that in Britain "public schools" are actually expensive private schools). While the class did something illicit, one boy would watch and would hiss "Cave" to his classmates when he spotted a "beak" (teacher) coming. I don't know if it is used any more, now that Latin is almost extinct in public schools.

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