Try-Hards

The Try-hard is a more amorphous person. What I mean by this statement is that there is much less of a norm which I could describe versus the "Lad".

In general the definition of a Try-Hard is that he was a boy who did not have the kudos (through sports achievement or physical size etc.) to be a "lad". However he would very much desire to be a "lad" - ie to be seen as a success by the Goring boy-culture. As such he was someone highly orientated towards the "lads" and spent much time praising the lads or, in some way, following around a lad figure.

The Lads had high social postition. As I said in my previous post they had an attitude of disdain, if not direct dislike towards the "squares" - or rejects. However they would not normally talk to these latter. The Try-Hards, however, were closer to the "squares". For example, in a physical way. In my house Each house/ year had one long table on which the geoup of c 12 boys sat. This long table was roughly divided such that the lads sat at one end (the cool end), the rejects at the opposite end ( the un-cool end) and the try-hards in the middle, thus forming a simple hierarchy of importance / space (more on tables in teh refectory later).

In order to impress the Lads the try hard would often directly mock the "squares" or in some other way make their life unpleasant, where the lads did not have such direct contact with the squares. However this fitted in with the distant 'disdain' of the lads.

Description of the Try-Hard.
My desription of the Lads (see previous post) probably covers 75% of the Lads. Any description of the Try Hard must cover much less - perhaps 25%, due to the reasons given above. - That is - there is no positive definition of a try hard, it is more the negative definition of anyone who could not make lad status but "sucked-up", to speak pejoratively, to the Lads.

So here goes (as I say 25% should be the rule)
The Try Hard:
Wore a grumpy or sneering expression
Was not of large build, not very physically strong
Spoke very sarcastically
Spoke in a clever/cynical manner, with negative phraseology like "Don't you just hate the way..."
Might wear slightly rebel-ish clothes, like pointy shoes
Had long floppy hair at the front (short back and sides)
Was in the 3rds / 4ths rugby team (or lower)
Especially liked playing to a popular-class image (eg by making a big deal out of supporting a football team)

More to come...