Re: School stories

On Mon, 6 Apr 2026 07:45:57 -0700, John Ames <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Sat, 4 Apr 2026 13:28:36 -0700
>Bobbie Sellers <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Generally hazing is done to test the Mettle of the new parties and
>> group hazing build bonds between those who share misery. [...] In
>> some of the USA's great universities like Yale and Harvard it builds
>> bonds that are sustained for life
>
>That's certainly the public line whenever a pledge gets killed in a
>dumb stunt and the traditionalists have to scramble to explain to the
>cops and the media how this is Fine, Actually. Sounds a lot more high-
>minded than "institutionalized abuse of newbies is the means by which
>sociopaths who get off on tormenting people find a socially-acceptable
>outlet for their disease."
>
>It's no friggin' wonder these people end up in politics and Management.

From a US dictionary:



haze
3 of 3
verb (2)
hazed; hazing

transitive verb
1
a
: to harass by exacting unnecessary or disagreeable work
b
: to harass by banter, ridicule, or criticism
2
: to play tricks on or force to do unpleasant or unsafe things as initiation
haze the fraternity pledges
3
Western US : to drive (animals, such as cattle or horses) from
horseback
hazer noun

From Wikipedia:

Ragging
Ragging is the term used for the so-called "initiation ritual"
practiced in higher education institutions in India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The practice is similar to hazing in
North America, fagging in the UK, bizutage in France, praxe in
Portugal, and other similar practices in educational institutions
across the world. Ragging involves abuse, humiliation, or harassment
of new entrants or junior students by the senior students Continued in
Wikipedia

I understood "ragging" to be a synonym for "teasing" generally, and
not as specifically applied to initiation rituals. 







-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk