the bells, the bells

The yanking of, and sometimes swinging from, a fellow student's tie until the knot is irreversibly wee. This is known as a "small tie", and only becomes a "the bells, the bells" if you say so, in Quasimodo's voice. The only reported defence is a remedial measure rather than preventative, and involves a safety pie in the back of the tie that can be used as a lever to uncomplicate the knot.