The genius tutelary of a place, like the girls' school, is its guardian spirit. In "Three Little Maids from School" Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, and Pitti-Sing sing that because they are away from their old-fashioned school, they are freed from its "genius tutelary" -- they are freer, and they have less protection.

Technically, genius is defined in the first edition of the OED as

With reference to classical pagan belief: The tutelary god or attendant spirit alloted to every person at his birth, to govern his fortunes and determine his character, and finally to conduct him out of the world; also, the tutelary and controlling spirit similarly connected with a place, an institution, etc.

This discussion is based on the definition of the words genius and tutelary in the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, which requires a little explanation.

To Act I or Act II of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado.

To the homepage of this Mikado website.

Suggestions, contributions, criticisms, questions? Email Sharon Cogdill.