British degree nicknames

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Based on colloquial rhyming slang, British undergraduate honours degree classifications have gained a number of common nicknames, based on the names of various well known current and historical figures. The following is a summary of these.

Class Nickname[1][2][3][4] Source of Nickname
1st Geoff, Patty or Damien World Cup 1966 England footballer Geoff Hurst, heiress and kidnap victim Patty Hearst, or artist Damien Hirst.
2:1 Attila, Don or Trevor Attila the Hun, Don Juan or Trevor Nunn (after the famous theatre director).
2:2 Desmond South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Also referred to as a Drinker's or Boozer's Degree (origin unknown).
3rd Douglas, Thora, Richard, Gentleman's Degree, Vorderman Douglas after 1980s British Home Secretary Douglas Hurd (who actually gained first class honours), Thora after actress Thora Hird, Richard after King Richard III, Gentleman's Degree (unknown) or a Vorderman after Countdown television celebrity Carol Vorderman, who achieved third class grades in all her years at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
Pass - -
Fail Dan[5] Dan after the 44th Vice President of the United States, Dan Quayle.

References