"soup the professor"--1902 college slang (query)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 7/28/06, Cohen, Gerald Leonard <gcohen at umr.edu> wrote:
>
> Would anyone have any idea about "soup the professor"? It appears in the 1902
> article on college slang presented to ads-l by Benjamin Zimmer:
>
>  'A student who endeavors to get a high stand mark by favoritism is said to be
> "souping" the professor or "bellyaching" an instructor.'

I wonder if this might be a typo for "soaping". OED2 has "soap" = 'to
address with smooth or flattering words; to flatter' from 1853. Cf.
also "soft-soap".


--Ben Zimmer

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