Note to Readers: The following dictionary was cobbled together from entries submitted at various times during the semester by students enrolled in a class on the History and Structure of the English Language (English 339). The entries were subjected to the editorial scrutiny (or, as some students might have thought it, the whims) of the instructor--and occasionally to the editorial views of other members of the class. The result of this project might best be thought of as an unrepresentative sample of words and phrases that were thought by about forty contemporary students to have some distinctive local flavor.

A-level / 1. (n.) the basement floor of Mudd-library, where students congregate to study, use the computer lab, and visit the reserve reading room. 2. (adj.) exhibiting a pretentious and obviously [as evidenced by the chatty and flirtatious behavior exhibited by some students who frequent the place itself] phony zeal for studying: as, e.g., in "an A-level pomo" (q.v.).

all kinds of (adv. phrase) an intensifier, roughly equivalent to "very"; can be used to modify any adjective or any phrase that acts adjectivally, as in "Honey buns are all kinds of good."

alpha / (n.) the server in the Oberlin College computer system that enables the sending of electronic mail; a term familiar to all students who use e-mail (from the trademark name of the server

(the) Arb / (n.) a wooded area off Morgan Street between Professor Street and the golf course; a shortened form of the official term arboretum

art fuck / (n.) a student attired in clothing redolent of the 1950s--messy, yet neat and fashionable; (the term is not generally used by art students themselves, however)

Asiaphile / (n.) a student (usually male) who is thought to be obsessed with having romantic relations with another student (usually female) of Asian heritage

A.S.R. / (n.) any food in which soy products are substituted for what would normally be milk; often, specifically, to Eden Soy Milk; used by vegan students: an acronym for "androgynous soy-based refreshments"

aural thrills / (n.) nickname for courses in Music Theory for which the official titles are "Aural Skills"

baby cooker / (n.) a large cooking pot made of stainless steel; a term used by members of Oberlin student co-operatives.

banana house / (n.) an off-campus site used for student housing, and long noted as a locale for vigorous parties held on the premises

Barnyard / (n.) affectionate nickname for the dormitory that is officially named Barnard

beauty-head / (n.) a student who is stereotyped as an aesthete, used especially by English majors and professors; in contrast to "theory-head" (q.v.)

beer practice / (n.) a practice session held by an athletic team either during or after which members of the team drink beer together

beer window / (n.phrase) the hour after midnight on Monday morning, when beer can be purchased legally (having been forbidden all day on Sunday) at Missler's Supermarket on S. Main St.; a specialized application of the term "window" as applied to a brief period of time

B.F.I. / (n.) The Service Building: an acronym, from "Big Fucking Incinerator," by association with the large corporation that identifies itself with the same acronym; used especially by environmental activists

Big Daddy Grimm (proper n.) an affectionate name for Robert Grimm, Professor of Philosophy; used by his students

bit hockey / (n.) term for Computer Science 210 (Computer Organization), used by a student minoring in Computer Science

bongo boy / (n.) a male student at Oberlin College who (in 1995) played his bongo drums on a daily basis in Tappan Square, a designation used by (non-student) employees at Gibson's

B.U.G. / (n.) a derisive term for a person who is reputed to be indecisive about his or her sexuality as an undergraduate but is likely to embrace a heterosexual identity after graduation; an acronym (for "bi-[sexual] until graduation") used by students who identify themselves as members of a homosexual and/or bi-sexual community: cf. "four year queer"

[the] Bunny / (n.) a strange and esoteric quasi-religion/philosophy/way of life with membership confined largely to certain residents of East Hall--members of the Bunny can be recognized by their use of the sacred Bunny moudra (in appearance similar to a "victory" sign with two fingers placed to the forehead); also, the deity worshiped by members of the Bunny.

campus fixture / (n.) a person who spends a lot of time at the Campus Restaurant (on Main Street), usually smoking, eating, and indulging in gossip

C.A.N. / (n.) generically, the numerical code that a student must have in order to register, through the computerized registration program currently in effect, for a course in which admission is controlled by the instructor: an acronym (for "consent access number") sometimes referred to as a can number

(the) Cat / (n.) a shortened form of the phrase "Cat in the Cream Coffee House," a place used for entertainment and located in the Hales Gymnasium Annex

C.D.S. / 1. (n.) an acronym used widely for the Campus Dining Service as an administrative unit; 2. (n.) generically, the food served by the Campus Dining Service (as in "I'm eating C.D.S. tonight"; 3. (adj.) having the presumed characteristics of the Campus Dining Service, especially with regard to the atmosphere of service or the quality of food served

chewbacca / (v. tr.) to force a walking companion to assume a position behind two or three others who are walking abreast; derived from the behavior observed in "the big woolly guy" from the film Star Wars

chutes and ladders / (n.) a nickname for Mathematics 329, "Rings and Fields," widely supposed to be the most difficult course offered in that department; from the name of a child's board game

cider belly / (n.) a feeling like that obtained from drinking too much apple cider: used in a student co-op by a non-member of the co-op

[the] clounge / (n.) the student lounge in the Conservatory of Music: a slightly derogatory pun, involving the shortening of "con lounge" to resemble the word "clown"

coffee / (n.) euphemistically, interactive sexual activity, particularly on a casual basis; presumably deriving from a popular pick-up line ("Why don't we get some coffee sometime?"): extended by some speakers to brands and types of the drink, based on an assessment of the duration and enjoyment of the experience (e.g., Sanka or cappucino)

collie / (n.) a student enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences; a form paired with connie (q.v.), with the further pun on the name of a variety of dog

commando / (n.) a crew of students in a student co-op, whose job it is to make the whole co-op kitchen clean--usually on a Sunday night

co-mo-fo / (n.) a member of a student co-operative who has a reputation of lodging frequent objections in discussions among the membership

con / (n.) The Oberlin Conservatory of Music: a contracted form of "conservatory" connie /'kani/ (n.) a student enrolled in the Oberlin Conservatory of Music

conservatwat / (n.) [derogatorily] The Oberlin Conservatory of Music; distortion of the final syllable derived from widespread American slang term for female genitalia

Co-op / (n.) 1. with definite article, the bookstore located on West College Street; 2. with an indefinite article or modifying adjective, a student co-operative organization: in each case, a contraction of "co-operative"

co-op foot / (n.) a condition in which the bottom of the foot or feet is covered in dirt, rotted vegetables, etc.; used by and of members of a student co-op (q.v.) who go barefoot in the kitchen

(the) crack / (n.) term for the Snack Bar (in the basement of Wilder Hall), used by students who dine there frequently

crampus / (n.) affectionate nickname for the Campus Restaurant, on Main Street

crispy patty / (n.) a small, fried disk--presumably composed of some type of vegetable or plant matter--served in dining halls as an alternative (for consumption by vegetarian patrons) to a similarly-shaped food containing meat

C.R.O. / (n.) the lowest tier of staff position filled by the Office of Residential Life and Services, utilizing students who volunteer their services in exchange for being granted the right to choose a room within an assigned dormitory; an acronym (for "community resident organizer")

crunchy / (adj.) inclined to exhibit such behavior as eating granola, patronizing thrift shops, practicing vegetarianism, and engaging in ecological political activity; shortened from "crunchy granola people" (q.v.)

crunchy granola people / (n. pl.) a collective term used to describe Oberlin College students stereotypically; used by townspeople, for example, as a deprecating term (metonymically, extending a perceived dietary peculiarity to social behavior generally)

C.T.S. / (n.) a place adjacent to the lobby of Hall Auditorium from which tickets are sold for formal events (with an admission charge) held on the campus; an acronym (for "central ticket service"

[the] dark side / (n.) a part of Fairchild dining co-op that lacks tables, is dimly lit, and is somewhat divided from the main dining area; an allusion to a popular term from the cinema of science fiction, and used because some diners prefer to take their meals there in order to avoid the discussions (reputed to be long, P.C. [q.v.], and occasionally hostile) that characterize meals in the co-op

[the] Dascomb Lady (proper n.) nickname for an otherwise unidentified college employee who checks the identification of students who use the dining facilities in Dascomb Hall, notable for her use of artificial eyelashes and fingernails and the standard greeting, 'Hi, have a good one.'

D.G. / 1. (n.) a student who lived in the all-female wing of Dascomb Hall during 1996-97, or a student who associated frequently with those who did live there; 2. (adj.) characterized by the participation of such students (as "a D.G. party"): an acronym (for "Dascomb girl"

dormcest / (n.) a pejorative term for the act of dating, pursuing romantically, or engaging in sexual relations with another resident of the dormitory in which one lives; a blend of "dorm" and "incest." [Note: inasmuch as intimate relationships in college often go bad, dormcest is seen as particularly risky owing to the unavoidably close proximity of the parties involved.]

Drag Ball / (n.) an annual event, possibly the largest, most raucous, and most widely attended social event of the student year, held during the spring semester with a theme of cross-dressing, or "drag"

east bumble fuck / (n. phrase) generically, any place (in any direction) used as a domicile by students but located more than two blocks from the campus. Sometimes shortened to east bum or east bum fuck.

ExCo / 1. (n.) a set of courses administered by a student committee; 2. (n.) the student committee that administers these courses; 3. (adj.) describing a course offered under these auspices; an acronym for "Experimental College"

Fairkid / 1. (n.) a nickname for a student co-operative that is located in Fairchild House; 2. (n.) a student who is a member of this co-operative

fez / (n.) a plastic container (usually but not always round) used for the storage of food; a term used by members of OSCA (q.v.), and presumably derived from the perceived similarity of the container's shape to the hats worn by Shriners; extended, e.g., in the Asia House co-op, to containers of any shape

finger / (v. tr.) [widespread in the jargon of computer users] to perform a simple operation, while logged on to the main campus computer network, that enables one to determine whether mail messages are stored on the account of (another person)

(finger) plan / (n.) a set of quotations, phrases, or other ramblings that a student saves in an Alpha (q.v.) account in order that they may appear when another student fingers (q.v.) the account: used especially by Computer Science majors, with reference to the "plan" prompt in the Alpha program (its filename being FINGER.PLN)

four year marriage / (n. phrase) an intimate relationship between undergraduate students, the duration of which coincides with the typical undergraduate career (with motives of fear and/or obsessiveness implied on the part of the participants)

four year queer / (n. phrase) a person who, during his or her tenure as an Oberlin student, is or is reputed to have been openly (and perhaps ardently) homosexual or bisexual, but who is expected to revert or is reputed to have reverted to heterosexual behavior upon graduation

fourth meal / (n.) a dining option offered in the Rat (q.v.) from 10-12 p.m. daily, for students who participate in the meal plan administered by the Campus Dining Service and have not yet at that hour taken all three of their alloted meals

freshling (alt. froshling) / (n.) a student in the first year of collegiate study; perceived as offering a non-sexist alternative to the old-fashioned word "freshman," but without the cumbersomeness of "first year"; "froshling" conveys a tone of greater slang usage than "freshling"

freshman cold / (n.) an illness (the common cold) to which all new students are supposed to succumb during the first week of study at Oberlin; a folkloristic term used by upperclassmen, with disparaging implications about the presumed herd instinct reflected in the suffering, or about the source to which the illness is attributed when suffered by an upperclassman

fro / (n.) a follicle of hair: used in Stevenson Hall during a conversation in which students were expressing concern about finding hairs in their food; an extension of the term (shortened from Afro) used to describe an African-American hairstyle

F.T.L. / (n.) a derogatory term for a person who has received a diploma from Oberlin College but has continued to reside in the town of Oberlin after graduation; an acronym for "failure to launch," presumably from the jargon of space exploration

fuck buddy / (n.) a person with whom one has an arrangement to have sexual relations without any romantic attachment; employed, for example, by graffiti writers in the A-level (q.v.) restrooms

fuck finder / (n.) the booklet entitled New Students, published by the College at the beginning of the academic year and containing the photographs and names of entering students; used to describe the booklet's perceived utility for upperclass and returning students

fussers / (n.) informal name, in general usage, for the Directory that is published annually by the Office of Communications at Oberlin College

full-time / (n.) a person identified as exclusively homosexual (as distinct from part-time (bi-sexual) or unemployed (heterosexual): terms used euphemistically by homosexual speakers in public places to frustrate uninitiated listeners

gaydar / (n.) the ability to detect the sexual orientation of another; a portmanteau term combining "gay" and "radar"

Harkie / (n.) a member of the Harkness co-operative; used widely of themselves by members, and in a limited fashion by other students--perhaps with derogatory overtones, to suggest unkempt appearance; a shortened form of the official name with the addition of a diminutive

Harkness funk / (n.) the particular odor of spices and body effluvium that can be detected in certain student co-operatives, and especially in Harkness

have heterosex / (v. intr.) to have sexual intercourse with a member of the opposite sex

have issues / (v. phrase, intr.) to be annoyed and uncomfortable, especially politically; as in the statement "I have issues with patriarchy."

hippy stench / (n.) an odor attached to the bodies of certain students, perceived as a blend of normal body odors, patchouli, co-op spices, and marijuana

hit /([esp. predicate] adj.) feeling exhausted after a long week end or by arduous school work, as in "I'm so hit..."

hobart / (v. intr.) 1. (n.) an industrial-size dishwasher and sanitizer found in all Oberlin College dining co-operative; 2. (n.) an industrial-size machine found in all Oberlin College dining co-operatives and used for mixing ingredients during the preparation of food; 3. to use any large piece of machinery in the kitchen of a student-run co-operative, but chiefly with reference to washing dishes; from the brand name of one such machine

hook up / (v. phrase intr.) to have intimate relations with another person, possibly including sexual intercourse, often unexpectedly and on the spur of the moment, and often while in a drunken stupor during or after a party--sometimes as as a consequence of macking (q.v.)

The House / (n.) the dormitory residence officially named Lord-Saunders and more widely known as Afrikan Heritage House

I got your hot sauce / a phrase, meaning "I know what you mean"; imported from elsewhere for use by the seven members of "Firestorm House" (q.v.), now thought to be spreading in general usage among Oberlin students

indie rocker / (n.) a person who is thought to be obsessed with post-modern popular culture

ish / based on the phrase "to have issues" (q.v.)

jones / (v. intr.) to have an impulsive desire or craving (for); as in "I'm really jonesing for some tater tots"

King / (n.) a shortened form of "King Building"; a similar habit of shortening (to the first element) is applied to virtually every building on the campus

kiosk / (n.) an advertising system that is available to students who employ the Alpha (q.v.) computer system, and that supplies such services as announcements, lost-and-found notices, and the offering of items for sale or purchase

lounge rat / (n.) a person who is thought to spend excessive amounts of time in a lounge (especially in the main lounge of South Hall?), particularly late at night

mack (on) / (v. intr.) 1.to converse flirtatiously with, or attempt to win the romantic and/or sexual favor of another student, primarily used of upperclass students about their perceived approach to first-year students. Probably widespread in collegiate communities; derived from French slang (maquereau, i.e., pimp) by way of American film .2. [by extension] to take food from the plate of a fellow diner, especially in a campus dining hall, as in the question, "Can I mack on your fries?"

malacha / (n.) a term of affectionate address, used chiefly by Harkies (q.v.); presumably imported from the modern Greek (meaning "one who masturbates") by a student, Aaron Bash. Variants include malachismeno and malachia

masturbatory friendship / (n. phrase) a relationship between undergraduate students in which the participants give gratuitous praise to one another for the perceived purpose of receiving it for themselves, and in which they engage in other rituals meant, presumably, to boost self-esteem

[the] Mean Dean (proper n.) a deprecatory nickname for Charlene Cole-Newkirk, whose brief tenure as Dean of Student Life and Services concluded with her resignation in October, 1997

mercy fuck (see pity fuck)

militant vegan / (n.) a person who practices and aggressively advocates vegetarian eating practices; originally applied to a particular member of the Fairchild co-op

M.O. / 1. (n.) a temper tantrum calculated to achieve one's purposes; 2. (v.) to throw such a temper tantrum; an abbreviation for "major objection," with reference to a formal policy followed by residents of a Dascomb Program House (and OSCA [q.v.]), according to which any one resident may by raising a "major objection" cause a proposal to fail

monastery / (n.) a jocular name for the all-male section of Barrows dormitory, located on the northern wing of the ground floor, or (perhaps more generally) in other dormitories, such as Dascomb Hall, in which certain sections are set aside for male students only; cf. "nunnery"

Moons for goons / (n.) jocular name for Astronomy 100 (Introductory Astronomy); or Astronomy 118/Geology 118 (Planets, Moons, and Meteorites); in either case, reflecting a perceived lack of difficulty in the course

mouse house / (n.) jocular name for a building (no longer standing) in which Professor Norman Henderson kept mice for use in his laboratory experiments; a term coined by Professor Henderson but widely used by majors and faculty members in the Department of Psychology

Mount Oberlin / (n.) the highest topographical feature in the city of Oberlin, i.e., the mound of grass-covered dirt between the Field House and Hollywood Street

nerdboy / (n.) a male student who is thought to be part of a clique that lives in the area of the north campus, rarely emerges into daylight, is addicted to Mountain Dew, and has interests largely confined to computers, role-playing games, gossip about other nerdboys, sex, and Star Wars; originally a disparaging term used by others, it has been adopted by some of the nerdboys themselves, and is occasionally used in a somewhat endearing fashion

[the] nerds / (n. pl.) 1. a particular clique of female students residing the Quiet Floor of East Hall; 2. cliques in general, but especially those that are associated with Quiet Floors: used either jocularly or affectionately

neurotica / (n. pl.) a collective term applied to students who tend to fall in love with people who display self-destructive behavior, presumably in order to ameliorate such behavior: a blend of "erotica" and "neurotic"

North / (n.) the popular name for the northernmost dormitory on the campus, officially named Langston Hall: a survival of the name officially used for the building before its relatively recent re-naming

North Quad / (n.) popular name for the expanse of lawn bordered by Barrows, Barnard, East, Noah, and Burton halls; sometimes called simply the Quad, the area may also be thought of as extending to the lawn bordered by the classroom buildings of Sperry, Kettering, and Wright: based on the abbreviation of "quadrangle" that has long been associated with institutions of higher education

nunnery / (n.) a jocular name for the all-female section of Barrows dormitory, located on the southern wing of the ground floor, or (perhaps more generally) in other dormitories, such as Dascomb Hall, in which certain sections are set aside for female students only; presumably an allusion to Hamlet III.i.120; cf. "monastery"

N.Y.F. / (n.) an acronym for nutritional yeast flakes, commonly used in Vegan meals; the term itself is widely used by members of OSCA (q.v.), Vegans, and Vegetarians

N.Y.P. / (n.) a collective term for students from New York City; presumably an abbreviated form of "New York Posse," a term which is also used sometimes for the same purpose

Oberhood / (n.) the less affluent part of the city of Oberlin; used by students who live off campus; a blend of Oberlin and 'hood, a widespread slang term for an urban ghetto

oberlin / (adj.) having attributes of political, social, and/or environmental hyper-consciousness; in derogatory usage: based on a widespread stereotype of students at Oberlin College

Obie / (n.) a person who is or at some time has been enrolled in Oberlin College, and thereby is presumed to have certain (unspecified?) qualities associated with that status; a contraction of the proper name "Oberlin"

Obieland / (n.) Oberlin (the college and the city) as a geographical unit; with a gesture to the name (and perhaps presumed characteristics) of Disneyland

O.C. / (n.) a term, based on the abbreviation of Oberlin College, often used in organized cheering at athletic events

O.C.M.R. / (n.) 1. The room in the basement of Wilder Hall in which student mail boxes are located; 2. the box assigned to an individual student for the delivery of mail; an abbreviation of Oberlin College Mail Room

octagon / (n.) name for the cement platform in front of Warner Gymnasium; used, with reference to its shape, especially by students in the Theater and Dance Program and by skateboarders

one card / (n.) generic name for a plastic identification card that will henceforth be issued to students in replacement of the "Validine" card; the term signifies the increased uses to which the card can be put (e.g., using copy machines)

organ pump / (n.) a concert given from time to time on a Friday evening by members of the Conservatory organ studio in Finney Chapel

Osca / (n.) the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (acronym)

pirg / (v. tr.) to harass, annoy, or bother by persistent and unwelcome verbal behavior; presumably derived from the tactics used by officials of the Ohio Public Interest Research Group [the Ohio PIRG] in an effort to recruit members and financial support

pity fuck / (n.) an act of sexual intercourse prompted, on the part of the initiator, not by sexual or romantic interest but by feelings of altruism and/or condescension on account of a perception that the recipient lacks another sexual outlet and appears to be slowly imploding from excess hormones; used chiefly of rather than by persons engaged in such behavior. Syn.: mercy fuck

platonic slut / (n.) derogatory term for a person of either sex who engages in relations that are not overtly sexual but are borderline romantic (e.g., cuddling; sleeping in the same bed) with many other people while assuming that such relations are not romantically binding

pod (n.) any one of the three separate dining areas in Stevenson Hall (perhaps with an implied sense of perceived sterility, by association with the lore of travel in outer space

(a) Pollock in one's drawer / (n. phrase) a bad situation that one tries to ignore; used by preservationists employed in the Mendery of Mudd Library; derives from an incident (in June, 1967) in which a preservationist discovered, after performing intricate repairs on a book about Jackson Pollock's art, that the work had been upside down--and therefore stowed the botched repair job in a handy drawer

pomo / (n.) a person who studies Post-modern theory; or a person who is associated with such study, based on use of shoulder bags and black and navy blue clothing, with an appearance that is both unkempt and highly fashionable; a contraction. (adj.) possessing the quality of ostentatious self-consciousness

P.O.S.S.L.Q. / (n.) an acronym for a person [of the] opposite sex [who] shares living quarters [with another person]

prong / (n.) any one of the wings that branches off from the main corridor of East Hall; cf. "pod"

prospie / (n.) a visitor to the Oberlin campus who is considering application to or enrollment in the institution; an abbreviation of "prospective [student]"

psychoterm / (n.) a small Macintosh computer with a minuscule screen, located in the second floor computer laboratory of Severance Hall. The term, which is widely used by (but restricted chiefly to) Psychology majors at Oberlin, derives from a label placed on the equipment by employees of the Computing Center at the time of installation

Puss / (n.) nickname for the Campus Restaurant, on S. Main St.; a shortened form of the name that reflects an unsavory view of the establishment by the user

putana / (n.) a term of affectionate address, used chiefly by Harkies (q.v.); from the Mexican word meaning "bitch"; synonymous with malacha (q.v.)

R.A.C. / (n.) the numerical code (obtainable from faculty advisors) that a student needs in order to begin his or her computerized registration for classes; an acronym for "registration access code"

(the) Rat / (n.) shortened form of "Rathskellar," the dining area in the basement of Wilder Hall that is adjacent to but separated from the Snack Bar

R.C. / (n.) a student employed by the Office of Residential Life to live in and serve as a friendly advisor to other residents of a specified dormitory; elsewhere, often called an "R.A."; an acronym for "resident co-ordinator"

resident male [also, sometimes, R.M. (q.v.)] / (n.) a heterosexual male (usually) who, because of his constant or long-running association or friendship with a given group of heterosexual women, has been in effect desexualized in the minds of the members of the group. Such social groups often include no more than one male: his participation is accepted as a matter of course, but he is not permitted to indicate a romantic interest in any other member of the group

rippy / (n.) nickname for Erik Von Rippy, a resident of Harkness House; used by Harkies (q.v.)

R.M. / (n.) acronym for "resident male" (q.v.)

rock room / (n.) the room in Wilder Hall used by various student musical bands as a place for practice

rock star / (n.) a person who is tragically hip

Rocks for jocks / (n.) jocular name for Geology 118/Astronomy 118 (Planets, Moons, and Meteorites), particularly notable for employing the widespread American slang term for an athlete (jock); cf. "moons for goons." (The term has also been applied to Geology 160 [Physical Geology] by a physics major)

safe space / (n. phrase) a comfortable social setting in which one can depend on not being challenged about one's race, gender, sexuality, or ideology in general: generally connotes a group of people rather than an actual location

safer sex night / (n. phrase) an annual event that takes place in the 'Sco (q.v.), sponsored by the S.I.C. (q.v.), intended as a mixer at which students dress sexily, skimpily, or not at all. [Note: at the event, various materials are displayed by the S.I.C., and some sexual paraphernalia is made available free of charge to participants.]

schwag / 1. (n.) anything that is less than extraordinary; but especially low-grade marijuana; 2. (adj.) having the quality of low-grade marijuana--therefore, being less than extraordinary: a term used among students who use or associate with others who use marijuana. A variant is schwaggy

(the) 'Sco / (n.) common name (used affectionately) for the Dionysus discotheque, operated in the evenings out of a large space in the basement of Wilder Hall; 2. (v. intr. [without def. art.]) to attend the Dionysus discotheque for the purpose of dancing, drinking, etc.--used with particular frequency in its gerundive form, 'scoing

'Sco-ho / (n.) a student who spends excessive amounts of time at the Dionysus discotheque (located in the basement of Wilder Hall); presumptively with the aim of dancing with and seducing other students. (A localized appropriation of the [largely African-American?] derogatory slang term based on the word "whore")

'Sco rat / (n.) a student who dances at the Dionysus discotheque almost every night, particularly on "early 80s" nights; a variation on the common slang "rat," which, when attached to a noun (e.g., "bar rat" or "mall rat") designates a person who frequents a particular place excessively

'Scomb / (n.) Dascomb Hall (a derogatory contraction that puns on the word "scum" and thereby reflects both on the architectural style of the building and on the food served in its dining facility)

scrab / 1. (v. intr.) to grab and scratch one's genitalia, usually while clothed; 2. (n.) the action of grabbing and scratching one's genitalia, usually while clothed--an action usually associated with males, and particularly with males of a type thought to be rather crude

send out a booty call (v. phrase) to seek some sort of brief but passionately romantic companionship (i.e., "booty"); used by a small group of third-year students who share the memory of a long session of listening to funk and soul music

sexile / (v. tr.) to evict [a roommate] from one's dormitory room in order to gain privacy, shared with another, for romantic purposes; a variant of this blend (combining "exile" and "sex") is sexorcize

shangsta gangsta / (n.) a white man or boy who appears to be obsessed with hip-hop culture

S.I.C. / (n.) acronymic name for the Sexual Information Center, a student organization that provides peer counselors and sells various types of sexually related items and paraphernalia

sketch out / (v. tr.) to behave in a strange or disturbing way toward other persons; often used, for example, in the form of a past participle, as in "I was sketched out"

sketchy / (adj.) seedy; questionable (mostly used to describe the actions and perceived intentions of other people)

slut pit / (n.) [rare] synonym for the "monastery" (q.v.) in Barrows Hall

snark / 1. (v. intr.) to bitch, to gripe, or to complain; 2. (n.) a complaint

soul fridge / (n.) a derogatory term for the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a term used in reference to cold temperatures within the buildings during the winter of 1994-95 (also punning on the term solfege), and also characterizing its perceived ethos of inhumanity

South Central / (n.) the south section of the second floor of Barrows Hall; a designation coined by inhabitants in 1994-95 with reference to perceived patterns of sociability

spicy / (adj.) sexy and even a little kinky without being tawdry; risque

stack / (n.) a list of people, compiled during a discussion by noting in order those who raise their hands to signal a desire to speak; a kind of queue; often used in meetings of student co-operatives

Stat for poets / (n.) jocular name for Mathematics 112 (Elementary Statistics), emphasizing its published effort to accommodate "students in the social sciences and humanities with minimal mathematical experience"

status quo / (n.) the rules and policies, or any specific rule or policy, previously established in a student-run co-operative; a specialized application of the widespread usage of the Latin term in English

Stevie / (n.) nickname for Stevenson Hall; a possessive form, Stevie's, is often used with reference to its function as a dining hall, as in "We're going to Stevie's for lunch"

sunday / (n.) non-diet Pepsi-Cola, especially at fourth meal (q.v.): derived from the stickers placed on drink pitchers in the Rat (q.v.)

Super Valu / (n.) Missler's Super Market, on S. Main St. The deliberate mispronunciation plays on the (official) misspelling of the chain of stores to which Missler's belongs

theory-head / (n.) a student who is stereotyped as having an obsession with contemporary literary theory and its jargon, used especially by English majors and professors in contrast to "beauty-head" (q.v.)

those who would be R.C.s (collective n. phrase) people who are nice, responsible, friendly, and/or charismatic: that is, people who get along with nearly everyone else; used by bitter, unfriendly people in a bitter, unfriendly way

three-F.G.A. / (n. phrase) acronymic name for the "Third Floor Gentlemen's Association," a group of residents of the Harkness student co-operative

through / (adj.) exasperated

toasted / (adj.) a C.D.S. (q.v.) term meaning "stale," used only in reference to bread; used in Stevenson Hall on placards describing meal options

townie / (n.) a citizen of Oberlin who is neither a student nor faculty member of Oberlin College

T.V.P. / (n.) a meat substitute (the precise nature of which is unclear to most who employ it) used in vegetarian and vegan dishes in Oberlin dining co-ops; an abbreviation for "texturized vegetable protein"

twee / (adj.) applied to musical groups [such as, e.g., Sebadoh and Veruca Salt]: having a relatively inoffensive, blandly popular appeal and outlook; used condescendingly by members of Concert Board, a club responsible for bringing musical acts to the campus

twin / (n.) a member of a couple (engaged in a close relationship) who is perceived to have subsumed his or her identity in that of the other

upperclassman's harem / (n.) the all-female wing of Barrows Hall; see also "nunnery"

V.D. / (n.) the plastic card used by students for purposes of identification; a humorous abbreviation (with a play on the common abbreviation for "venereal disease") and nickname based on the official term, "Validine"

val bastard / (n.) plastic card used for purposes of student identification; used by students, from its trademark name, "Valadine," with the implication that it tends to be difficult to locate among one's possessions

ver / (interj.) a shortened form of "whatever," used to express scorn, cynicism, or disregard as a response to a statement made by another person

wack / (adj.) inappropriate, offensive, or misguided: used especially of persons and their opinions--as in "his opinions on capitalist patriarchy are wack"

wank / 1. (v. intr.) to enjoy to an extreme extent, or even to eroticize, an abstract or intellectual topic; 2. (n.) an instance of such behavior; 3. a class that one particularly enjoys (e.g., "For the pomo, the class on Derrida was an absolute wank")--derived from an American slang term for masturbation

(the) weather control device (n. phrase) a spire atop the Wright Laboratory of Physics to which some students have been wont to attribute responsibility for producing good weather on occasions that are important for purposes of public relations (e.g., Parents Weekend, All Roads Week)

whatev' / (interj.) an expression of ultimate ambivalence or apathy; a shortened form of "whatever"

Wilder / (n.) shortened form of Wilder Hall, the Student Union, in which are located many organizational offices, meeting rooms, the mail room, the 'Sco (q.v.), the Rat (q.v.), and the Snack Bar

Wilder Bowl / (n.) general term for the grassy area of the campus between Mudd Library and Cox Administration Building, presumably with reference to the various activities (such as studying, playing, and sunbathing) carried on there by students when the weather permits

Wilder desk (n.) an enclosed area in the main lobby of Wilder Hall, from within which student and other employees of the Student Union dispense information, sell tickets to various performances on campus, distribute keys to rooms in the building, and carry out a variety of other useful functions

(the) Wilder meat market (n. phrase) a jocular term for the greensward known as Wilder Bowl on a warm spring or fall day, when the area teems with students (many of whom are scantily clothed)

Wilder TBA / (n.) location for a meeting to be held in Wilder Hall at an unspecified site. Derived from the abbreviated form of the phrase "to be announced"

womb chair / (n.) a type of chair--round, cushioned, enclosed, and swiveling--that is available in Mudd Library and is especially popular for its conduciveness to sleep

Y.A.P. / (n.) an encoded number that students need, in addition to the R.A.C. (q.v.) obtained from advisors, in order to carry out their computerized registration for courses

Yeomen / (n. pl.) Oberlin male athletes; any Oberlin College sport team comprised of males, collectively. A fabricated pun on the misconstruction of the definite article in Middle English (Ýe misread as ye) plus the abbreviation "O" plus "men"; in longstanding use, but increasingly rare except for official college publications and student journalism

Yeowomen / (n.pl.) Oberlin female athletes; any Oberlin College sport team comprised of females, collectively. A gendered adaptation of yeomen (q.v.)