⇨ -er; -erssuffix used to create a slangy variation of a conventional, generally abridged, word. By this process, the word 'indigestion' becomes, in its simplest form, 'indigesters'; 'football' becomes FOOTER and 'rugby football' becomes 'rugger'. Now known as the 'Oxford -er(s)', it began at Rugby school in 1875 (Oxford English Dictionary), but this origin has been disputed and claimed for Harrow School. Usage migrated via Oxford University into general (upper-)middle-class slang, and Royal Navy Service UK, 1875