As you transition to Dartmouth life, there’s something you need to study up on. No, it’s not prepping for your pre-med classes or trying to learn the alma mater (no one really knows that anyway), but it is much more essential: you gotta learn the lingo.
Dartmouth students use a lot of weird slang in their day to day lives (maybe it’s because we’re in the middle of nowhere?), so to keep up with the times, here are all of the words you need to know so you can figure out what that girl next to you in Blobby is talking about:
Blobby
A combination of the words “Baker” (in reference to Baker-Berry Library) and “lobby” that is used to refer to the area past the main entrance of Baker-Berry Library. This is a common space to meet up for group projects or bump into your friends in between classes.
Warmcut
In the winter, Hanover becomes a cold, snowy wasteland. So, students create elaborate routes across campus that feature “warmcuts,” or ways to get somewhere by walking through buildings for warmth.
Facetime-y
No, this has nothing to do with Apple, but “getting facetime” basically means being super social or doing something (like studying) in a crowded space to see and be seen. A person or an activity can be “facetime-y,” and it can be used in both a positive and negative light.
Dartmouth Seven
The Dartmouth Seven is a challenge in which students try to hook up in seven locations on campus. The locations include the following: the Green, the top of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, the front steps of Dartmouth Hall, President Phil Hanlon’s front lawn, a wooded-area of land known as the Bema, the 50-yard line of the football field and the stacks of Baker-Berry Library.
Blitz
A student’s Dartmouth email address, an email they send and/or the process of sending someone an email, as in, “I’ll blitz you!” (Get used to words with multiple meanings — Dartmouth students like to be complicated.)
Flitz/Fritz
A blitz’s flirtier and friendlier cousins. A flitz is a flirty email, often in poetic form with many GIFs, sent to your crush to ask them to an event or on a chill date. A fritz is like a flitz, but to friends!
Layup
An easy class that requires little to no work. Layuplist.com is an unofficial course review site for Dartmouth and is a source students use to find classes to take — but beware, not every class called a layup actually is one!
Off/on
Due to the D-Plan, it is usually the case that students have different termly schedules. You’ll frequently hear people asking if someone is off (on an off-term) or on (staying on campus) next term.
Self call
Dartmouth’s word for a humblebrag. All ’23s should shout this at someone who says that they placed into MATH11, “Accelerated Multivariable Calculus,” because they did well on the Advanced Placement Calculus exam in high school.
A-side/B-side
These terms were traditionally used in reference to fraternities and sororities, but now they are jokingly used to say that something is cool (A-side) or uncool (B-side).
Fracket
A cheap jacket that students wear to the frats. Fracket theft runs rampant when the temperature drops below freezing — be cautious!
Frat shoes
A pair of shoes dedicated solely to wear while going out. Frat basements, unfortunately, are not as clean as one would hope.
@now
Another way of saying right now, as in, “Meet me in the library @now.”
Lou’s Challenge
A challenge during which you pull an all-nighter and then eat breakfast at Lou’s, a diner in town, right when it opens. Pro-tip: Do it during the week — Lou’s opens an hour earlier.
Trippee
No, someone did not say that something is “trippy.” A trippee is someone who was on your First-Year Trip! Trippees will often be seen mobbing the Class of ’53 Commons together during freshman fall.
Flair
Fun, crazy clothes or costumes worn for a variety of different reasons. Any day is a good day to walk around in some flair. Don’t be the kid who is “too cool” for flair. There’s no such thing!
“What’s the move?”
Dartmouth for “What’s fun right now?” or “What should we do?”
This article is a part of the 2019 Freshman Issue.
