▁Arthur ▁Con an ▁Do yle ▁were ▁popular ▁authors ▁for ▁public ▁school ▁boys ▁in ▁England ▁before ▁the ▁Great ▁War . ▁Do yle ▁himself ▁used ▁the ▁phrase ▁" an imal ▁spirits " ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁Ke yn es ' s ▁birth . ▁ ▁Two ▁examples ▁of ▁W ode house ' s ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁phrase ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁book ▁Mike ▁( l ater ▁repub lished ▁in ▁two ▁parts ▁as ▁Mike ▁at ▁W ry k yn ▁and ▁Mike ▁and ▁P sm ith ). ▁" An imal ▁spirits " ▁denoted ▁an ▁ad oles cent ▁attitude ▁to ▁authority ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁ener get ically ▁and ▁deliber ately ▁acting ▁on ▁advice , ▁opinion , ▁or ▁ex h ort ation ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁stretch ing ▁the ▁letter ▁of ▁any ▁reg ulations ▁involved ▁to ▁the ▁limit . ▁The ▁aim ▁was ▁to ▁maxim ise ▁short - term ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁' normal ' ▁behaviour . ▁Rest oring ▁equilibrium ▁subsequently ▁required ▁a ▁firm ▁san ction ▁from ▁those ▁in ▁authority ▁and ▁possibly ▁also ▁a ▁re - cast ing ▁of ▁the ▁reg ulation ▁to ▁prevent ▁repe ats ▁of ▁the ▁actions ▁undert aken . ▁The ▁sl ang ▁term ▁of ▁the ▁era ▁for ▁this ▁was ▁' rag ging '. ▁▁ ▁W ode house ▁uses ▁ant ith esis ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁example ▁to ▁make ▁comedy ▁out ▁of ▁Mr .   Down ing ' s ▁aston ishment ; ▁surely ▁nobody ▁could ▁be ▁less ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁" an imal ▁spirits