In Review

Rochester students acquire a specific lingo that becomes ingrained in their everyday conversations, and, eventually, the vocabulary becomes part of their identity.

While a student here, I found it hard to escape the nicknames and abbreviations, as words and phrases were tossed around in the library or over a Facebook conversation.

The terms are in common use, regardless of students’ class year, club involvement, or major. And I think they deserve to be shared with the larger University family.

I’m not a dictionary writer, but as an English major, I offer a whimsical guide to some of the phrases I can’t seem to escape, even if I wanted to.

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Hill, an English and political science double major from Penfield, New York, graduated this spring. He was a student employee in University Communications.

Dfo \’dē-fō\ n 1 : Danforth Dining Hall 2 : the all-you-care-to-eat dining facility on the first floor of Susan B. Anthony Hall

¹Douggie \’dəg-ē\ n 1 : Frederick Douglass Dining Hall 2 : the all-you-care-to-eat dining facility on the first floor of Frederick Douglass Commons, one of the student life buildings in the Campus Center <Do you wanna go to ~ for dinner?>

²Douggie vi 1 : to go to or to eat in Douglass Dining Hall <Wanna ~ ?>

Flag Lounge \’flag-’lau̇nj\ n 1 : a common nickname for Hirst Lounge, the atrium space created by the wall of windows in Wilson Commons, where flags hang representing the nations and territories of the student population

Flex/URos \’fleks\ \’yu̇r-(’)ōz\ n 1 : a payment method on campus that can be used for food and nonfood purposes 2 : a transaction unit used for the purchase of food, candy, event tickets, fundraising tables, and off-campus locations, such as Chipotle <I’d like to use ~ to pay for this burrito bowl.> 3 : formerly called Flex, there is a shift in recent years to refer to the payment method as URos, a play on the currency of European Union, the Euro

The GAC \’thə-’gak\ n 1 : abbreviation for the Goergen Athletic Center 2 : shorthand term to refer to the Goergen Athletic Center using the abbreviation

Groundboi \’grau̇nd-bȯi\ n pl groundboiz 1 : a nickname given to the groundhogs that live around campus—specifically those on the Eastman Quadrangle and near Sage Arts Center 2 : popular name given to the furry creatures that call the River Campus their home and who have inspired a Rochester-specific meme

ITS \’ī-tē-es\ n 1 : abbreviation for Information Technology Services 2 : a colloquial term to refer to the area of Rush Rhees Library on Library Road <Meet me at ~ to catch the bus to College Town.> 3 : the area surrounding Connections Cafe, the Barbara J. Burger iZone, TechStore, and the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program, below Gleason Library

Phase \’fāz\ n 1 : nickname for Hill Court, a suite-style housing area for juniors and seniors; named after a planned three-phase housing project that only saw the completion of Phase 1 <Are you living in ~ this year?>

The Pit \’thə-’pit\ n 1 : the à la carte dining option on the first floor of Wilson Commons; named after its appearance of an orchestra pit <Let’s go to the ~ for a quick snack!> 2 : briefly renamed “The Commons,” the Pit offers the Grill, Wok On Up (Asian-style food), Freshens Burrito Bowl & Smoothie Bar, Pizza Pi, a salad bar, macaroni and cheese bar, and fresh sushi from California Rollin’ on Tuesdays

¹Tapingo \tä-’pin-gō, ‘tap-en-gō\ n 1 : an app introduced on campus in 2015 that you can use to order food on and off campus from the convenience of your phone

²Tapingo vt 1 : to order food on the Tapingo app <I ~’d a bagel and coffee before class let out.>

Wilco \’wil-kō\ n 1 : nickname for Wilson Commons, one of the student life buildings in the Campus Center 2 : home to the Pit, Rocky’s Sub Shop, the Common Market, Starbucks, and many student-life spaces used for events and daily gatherings