It's no secret that Dartmouth has a unique culture with the Dartmouth 7, Dartmouth Pong, the homecoming bonfire, and flair. One of our favorite cultural aspects of Dartmouth is the Dartmouth lingo and terminology. Here is a dictionary of the Dartmouth terminology and vocabulary to get you started.
Social Life & Traditions:
- Dartie (noun) - A Dartmouth party or social gathering.
- FFB (noun) - First-Year Family Weekend, an annual event inviting families of freshmen to experience campus life.
- Green Key (noun) - A spring weekend festival featuring concerts, events, and social gatherings.
- Flair - Extravagant, colorful, and often absurd clothing worn to events and parties.
- Layup (noun) - An easy course, often taken to balance a challenging academic schedule.
- Trippie - Someone you went on freshman trips with.
Communication & Interactions:
- Blitz (noun) - An email sent via Dartmouth's email servers.
- Flitz (noun) - A flirty blitz, often used to show romantic interest.
- @ now (adverb) - Indicates immediacy, e.g., "I need 1 for pong @ now."
- Facetimey (adjective) - Describes someone who frequents high-traffic areas to be seen and socialize, often in a superficial manner.
- Good sam (verb) - Derived from the Good Samaritan policy, e.g., "He needs to be good sammed."
- Narp - Acronym for "non-athletic regular person," referring to non-athletes or clumsy individuals.
- Prospie - A prospective student visiting the campus.
- Drill Bit (noun) - A term used to describe someone who participates in a high number of extracurricular activities.
Organizations & Clubs:
- DOC (noun) - Dartmouth Outing Club, an organization focused on outdoor activities and exploration.
- TDX (noun) - Theta Delta Chi, a popular co-ed fraternity on campus.
- GDX (noun) - Gamma Delta Chi, another prominent co-ed fraternity at Dartmouth.
- Tri-Delt (noun) - Delta Delta Delta, a well-known sorority on campus.
- Tabard (noun) - A selective, co-ed undergraduate society at Dartmouth.
- HPO - Hanover Police Department.
- S&S - Safety and Security (Dartmouth police).
Campus Locations:
- BEMA: A small grassy field in the woods behind East Wheelock.
- Big Kaf: The off-campus King Arthur Flour Café in Norwich, VT, not to be confused with KAF in the library.
- Blobby: The Baker-Berry Library Lobby.
- BVAC: The Black Family Visual Arts Center.
- Collis: The Collis Center, a hub for student activities and organizations.
- Dick's House: Dartmouth College Health Service located at 7 Rope Ferry.
- Dirt: Dirt Cowboy Café, a popular coffee shop.
- Foco: The 1953 Commons dining facility.
- KAF: King Arthur Flour Café in Baker-Berry, the main library on campus.
- Parkhurst (noun) - The main administration building at Dartmouth, housing the President's Office and other administrative departments.
- Robo: Robinson Hall, mainly used by the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC).
- Rocky: Rockefeller Center, a hub for social sciences.
- The Hop: The Hopkins Center for the Arts.
- Top of the Hop: The upper level of The Hop, offering stunning views of the campus.
- The Lodge (noun) - The Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, a popular off-campus destination owned by the college for retreats and outdoor activities.
- Dark Side: The Dark Side is the right side of the dining hall when you walk in. It is characterized by its long tables and generally dimmer lighting, providing a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere for students to dine. The Dark Side is often preferred by students looking for quieter conversations or a more low-key dining experience.
Dorms and Housing:
- Choates (noun) - A group of six dormitories located near the center of campus.
- Fayerweathers (noun) - A cluster of dormitories on the western side of campus.
- River Cluster (noun) - A group of dormitories located along the Connecticut River, offering scenic views.
Dining:
- Late Night (noun) - A popular time for students to get a meal, often at Collis or the Hop, typically after 9 PM.
- Novack (noun) - Novack Café, a popular study spot and snack bar located within the Baker-Berry Library.
Athletics:
- Big Green (noun) - A nickname for Dartmouth's athletic teams.
- Ledyard (noun) - Ledyard Canoe Club, which offers canoe and kayak rentals as well as river trips and outdoor activities.
Winter Carnival:
- Polar Bear Plunge (noun) - A Winter Carnival event in which participants jump into a hole cut into Occom Pond.
- Snow Sculpture (noun) - A large snow sculpture created by students as part of the Winter Carnival festivities.
Slang Terms:
- DBA (noun) - Declining Balance Account, a type of meal plan currency used at campus dining locations.
- P-Rade (noun) - Short for the "parade" during Dartmouth's annual Homecoming weekend, where students march around the Green in celebration.
- Woads (noun) - An abbreviation for Wednesday nights out, a popular time for socializing and going to parties.
- Hanover Chill (noun) - A phrase used to describe the laid-back, relaxed atmosphere of Hanover, New Hampshire.
Challenges & Traditions:
- Cabin and Trail (noun) - A subgroup of the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) that focuses on hiking and maintaining trails.
- Keggy (noun) - Dartmouth's unofficial mascot, an anthropomorphic keg.
- GDXibles (noun) - A campus-wide series of events hosted by Gamma Delta Chi (GDX) fraternity.
