Swot

Even at his preparatory school, where he was known as a swot of the first water, he had displayed an unhealthy infatuation for that tongue; he loved its cold, lapidary construction; and while other boys played football or cricket, this withered little fellow used to lark about with a note-book, all by himself, torturing sensible ❋ Norman Douglas (1910)

Now I heard John Pienaar try and spin it that Ed Balls actually said "swot" and I hear that John Pienaar later changed that to "so weak". ❋ Not A Sheep (2008)

I was stoned by a gang of cretins and suckers-up to cretins for being a "swot". ❋ Unknown (2008)

I know it's always been there, but the aggressive and occasionally horrifying disdain I've seen meted out to my nieces and nephews is in another league compared to the mild joshing I received for being a "swot", and which was always countered by the protection and drive to succeed that the vast majority of my teachers displayed. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Qugrainne – Litlove is looking very smug – she always was a girlie swot! ❋ Unknown (2009)

Even so, Nishikori can swot up on the Scot's game with his coach Brad Gilbert, the father of a former room-mate and more significantly, Murray's coach for 16 months between 2006 and 2007. ❋ Unknown (2012)

As a child swot, though, I felt a responsibility to my family to enter a "respectable" profession I dutifully studied law but found journalism's raffish camaraderie more accommodating. ❋ Unknown (2011)

I don't see him becoming another Wesley Crusher, because first he seems quite a bit older (maybe 10 years?) and second he is much more a geek and less the skinny swot that Wesley was. ❋ Unknown (2009)

But Kwarteng's reputation was as a rather personable swot, enjoying arguments over the dinner table, combining charm with the impression of being better read than everybody else. ❋ Unknown (2011)

Matilda is a swot, something which could have the opposite effect. ❋ Unknown (2012)

I had to find a definition for “girly swot” – sounds about right! ❋ Unknown (2009)

How can you convince someone who last went to a reading room in a desperate effort to swot for exams that, really, the Mitchell Library is worth another look? ❋ Unknown (2009)

Over my cup of tea, I decided to swot up a bit on the royal wedding. ❋ Kim Carillo (2011)

I picture Merritt sitting by as the various councils swot it out for his favor like Guenevere in CAMELOT: ❋ Unknown (2009)

We tried the old ‘flatter the swot into showing the homework answers’ routine on IG last year. ❋ Inspector Gadget (2009)

Qugrainne – I can assure you Litlove is the definitive definition of the girly swot! ❋ Unknown (2009)

If one is, by nature, a well-behaved swot, any tiny breach of school rules or social etiquette looms large. ❋ Unknown (2010)