boards used for special
purposes, or objects like boards (drawing-board, ironing-board,
sounding-board, chess-board, cardboard, back-board, notice-board,
scoring-board). The phrase "to keep one's name on the boards," at
Cambridge University, signifies to remain a member of a college; at
Oxford it is "on the books." In bookbinding, pasteboard covers are
called boards. Board was early used of a table, hence such phrases as
"bed and board," "board and lodging"; or of a gaming-table, as in the
phrase "to sweep the board," meaning to pocket all the stakes, hence,
figuratively, to carry all before one. The same meaning leads to "Board
of Trade," "Local Government Board," &c.

From the meaning of border or side, and especially ship's side, comes
"sea-board," meaning sea-coast, and the phrases "aboard" (Fr. _abord_),
"over-board," "by the board"; similarly "weather-board," the side of a
ship which is to windward; "larboard and starboard" (the former of
uncertain origin, Mid. Eng. _laddeboard_ or _latheboard_; the latter
meaning "steering side," O. Eng. _steorbord_, the rudder of early ships
working over the steering side), signifying (to one standing at the
stern and looking forward) the left and right sides of the ship
respectively.

BOARDING-HOUSE, a private house in which the proprietor provides board
and lodging for paying guests. The position of a guest in a
boarding-house differs in English law, to some extent, on the one hand
from that of a lodger in the ordinary sense of the term, and on the
other from that of a guest in an inn. Unlike the lodger, he frequently
has not the exclusive occupation of particular rooms. Unlike the guest
in an inn, his landlord has no lien upon his property for rent or any
other debt due in respect of his board (_Thompson v. Lacy_, 1820, 3 B.
and Ald. 283). The landlord is under an obligation to take reasonable
care for the safety of property brought by a guest into his house, and
is liable for damages in case of breach of this obligation (_Scarborough
v. Cosgrove_, 1905, 2 K.B. 803). Again, unlike the innkeeper, a
boarding-house keeper does not hold himself out as ready to receive all
travellers for whom he has accommodation, for which they are ready to
pay, and of course he is entitled to get rid of any guest on giving
reasonable notice (see _Lamond v. Richard_, 1897, I Q.B. 541, 548). What
is reasonable notice depends on the terms of the contract; and, subject
thereto, the course of