“a small liberal arts school in Boston”
|
Harvard.
|
Admin
|
Administrator. The fastest growing
non-marginalized minority on campus. Vague shadowy figure students can blame
for general woes. See. “The Man”
|
Alum
|
n. (1) Short for alumnus or
alumna. (2) A potassium aluminum sulfate or an ammonium aluminum sulfate,
used especially as an emetic and as an astringent and styptic.
|
anal
|
(1) Uptight, obsessive-compulsive. (2)
Anal-Retentive MIT Student
|
ASA
|
Association of Student
Activities. Coordinating body for student activities, clubs, etc. Handles
things often covered by administrators at other schools, such as office and
bulletin board allocation.
|
Ashdown
|
Graduate Dorm on the other side of
Simmons, Used to be located what is now Maseeh on Mass Ave.
|
Athena
|
Archaic unix-based MIT
computing environment, often mythologized as mere legend for its simultaneous
omni-presence and non-existence
|
Atomic Courtyard
|
See Secret Ninja Courtyard.
|
“Back in the Day “
|
(1) reactionary term.
Whenever the Alum considers the “good” part of MIT’s history or to compare
when things were much more hardcore (q.v.).
|
Bathroom
|
Arts and Media Technology Building (E15,
The Media Lab). Also known as the “Pei Toilet” (after architect I. M. Pei).
|
BCS
|
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
(Course IX).
|
BE
|
Biological Engineering (Course XX).
|
Beast from the East
|
Resident of Second East,
East Campus.
|
“beaver”
|
The MIT mascot, engineer of the animal
kingdom.
|
Big Dome
|
Invaluable Term When
Directed Lost Parents. See Great Dome
|
|
Big Sail
|
The official name of the steel sculpture
by Alexander Calder south of the Green Building, one of the few art pieces on
campus that is also functional. Starting place of the annual spontaneous
Tuition Riot (q.v.). Usually called the Great Sail.
|
Big Sail, Working Model
|
A preliminary scaled-down
version of the Big Sail. Used to reside on Mass. Ave. in front of Building 9,
until they found out it was worth something and moved it to the Media Lab
atrium. Often called the Little Sail.
|
Big Screw
|
A 4’, solid aluminum, left-handed
thread, wood screw presented by APO during Spring Weekend to the faculty or
staff member voted most deserving.
|
BITD
|
See “back in the day”.
|
blood on concrete
|
Irreverent nickname for MIT’s cardinal
red and steel gray school colors.
|
blow off
|
v. (1) To flush (q.v.). (2)
To punt (q.v.). To neglect to do
|
boffing
|
A recreational activity involving play
combat with foam and PVC-based weaponry. Popular among some twinkies (q.v.)
who are often Randomites (q.v.).
|
Bomber
|
(1) Resident of Burton
Third. (2) A good anchor point.
|
Boner
|
(1) Resident of Burton First (b-1-er)
|
Brass Rat
|
Ugly hunk of gold some MIT
students and alums wear on a finger.
|
Bridge Circuit
|
n. (1) A running course along the
Charles River which includes the BU, Harvard, and/or Longfellow Bridges. Not
to be confused with a circuit bridge. (2) A series of card contests where
people play rubbers.
|
Bronze Bunny
|
Sculpture in Lowell Court
(building 1), also called the “Bunny Shrine”. Officially named “Three Piece
Reclining Figure, Draped.”
|
BSO
|
Boston Symphony Orchestra.
|
BSU
|
Black Students Union.
|
Bubble [Effect]
|
The invisible, intangible social barrier
and filter between MIT students and the Rest of the World, commonly
experienced by tools (q.v.) and the most perpetually hosed (q.v.)
individuals. Example manifestations: “Who’s George W. Bush?”, “What war?”,
etc.
|
bummer
|
Post-choke or post-screw
description of said choke or screw; in general, something not good.
|
bug
|
n. (1) A natural or introduced flaw,
often the cause of a crash (q.v.). (2) One of our cherished friends
inhabiting MIT dorms, who does not pay tuition, nor, more relevantly, rent.
|
busted
|
pp. (1) Arrested. (2)
Broken. Usually related to Hacking
|
by definition
|
av. (1) Clearly, obviously. (2)
Necessarily. (3) “I can’t remember why.”
|
Camp Cambridge
|
MIT.
|
|
|
CAP
|
Committee on Academic Performance. (2)
v. To place on academic probation; e.g. “I got capped because I spent too
much time punting.”
|
caveat
emptor
|
Let the buyer beware.
Usually in reference to Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace
|
CEE
|
Civil and Environmental Engineering
(Course I).
|
CGSP
|
Committee on Graduate School
Policy.
|
Chancellor
|
Administration position, Big Brother is
watching you.
|
cheese graters
|
Nickname of the ridiculous
metal booths in Lobby 7 that replaced the low-key, “messy” functionality of
drop posters and publications shelves with the lofty architectural form of
giant, obstructive kitchen implements.
|
ChemE
|
[pronounced kem-ee] Chemical Engineering
(Course X).
|
Cheney Room
|
Margaret Cheney Room
(3-310), for women students only.
|
Chocolate City
|
One of the cultural houses, occupying the
top three floors of New House I.
|
choke
|
v. To snatch defeat from the
jaws of victory, usually on an exam or presentation
|
CivE
|
[pronounced siv-ee] Civil Engineering
(Course I).
|
clue
|
n. The technical knowledge
needed to carry out a task, or useful knowledge in general. A prerequisite
for pants (q.v.).
|
cluster
|
A room of public access Athena
terminals.
|
clusterbate
|
Access privates in a room of
Athena terminals.
|
clusterfuck
|
1) v. Like clusterbate only with more
people. 2) n. See Tangerine Tours.
|
CMS
|
Comparative Media Studies.
|
COC
|
Committee on Curricula.
|
COD
|
Committee on Discipline. You
got caught hacking….
|
Compton Lecture Hall
|
Room 26-100
|
|
Concourse
|
An experimental freshman
program to enrich the humanities experience at MIT
|
Coop
|
Co-operative store. Located in Kendall
Square, Harvard Square, and other locations. The main source of MIT-logo
merchandise.
|
Counseling Deans
|
See CSS
|
|
|
Course
|
n. (1) Department major. (2) Subject
(e.g., 5.11). Note: the Registrar’s Office has declared (2) an invalid
definition.
|
CP
|
Campus Police. NO NOT WHAT
YOURE THINKING
|
|
CPW
|
(1) Campus Preview Weekend, when many
prefrosh (q.v.) skip school in order to go to school. (2) The only sunny
weekend in spring.
|
crash
|
v. (1) To sleep in a place
where one does not pay rent, such as a friend’s apartment. (2) To join a
party without being invited. (3) To cease functioning, as in a computer
system.
|
crock
|
n. (1) Something that has been botched,
e.g., “What a crock.” (2) Bucket, e.g., “This is a crock of shit.” (3) The
comic rock opera performed at TEP during Rush.
|
crunch
|
(1) n. What happens at the
end of the term. (2) v. To process mindlessly, as in “number crunch”.
|
cruft
|
Old equipment; junk. Being able to take
cruft and make it work again, or do something new and useful, is a badge of
honor. (2) An old person, particularly an alum; often stated explicitly, as
in “crufty alum”.
|
crust
|
What some call crufty (q.v.)
alums.
|
CSAIL
|
(1) Computer Science and Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory. Formerly two separate labs, the MIT AI Laboratory
and the Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) were combined in July 2003. (2)
Transaction of C shells by the cshore.
|
CS
|
Computer Science (Course
VI-3).
|
|
|
DAPER
|
Department of Athletics, Physical
Education and Recreation.
|
Dean
|
Occupier of administrative
supervisory position. See Admin.
|
defrosh
|
v. the process of temperance in one’s
expectation of College , education, and “high-school” mentality (q.v.).
Usually occurs some time during freshman year, but extreme cases may be
delayed into graduate school and beyond.
|
Deke
|
Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
|
dl
|
See Dormline.
|
|
D-Lab
|
One of a series of laboratory
classes that design products for developing countries.
|
|
|
D-Labs
|
The Bad One. See Draper.
|
|
dope
|
n. (1) Marijuana, rarely
other drugs. (2) Trace impurity added to pure substance to alter properties.
(3) adj. Outdated popular parlance equivalent to “cool” or “rad”. (4) Moron
(archaic).
|
DoomCom -
|
Half-floor in Senior Haus stereotypically
associated with twinkies (q.v.).
|
|
|
DormCon
|
Dormitory Council, the
coordination and governing body of the MIT dormitories. Compare IFC, Panhel,
LGC
|
|
|
Dorm Rush
|
see REX
|
|
|
Dot
|
The circle of grass between the Green
Building and the Big Sail. A popular place to eat lunch, play frisbee or hold
Oddball Olympics. Officially named McDermott Court.
|
Double-E
|
See EE.
|
|
|
down
|
adj. (1) Feeling depressed, said of a
person. (2) Non-working, gronked (q.v.), said of a computer.
|
Draper
|
Formerly Instrumentation
Labs. Works on inertial guidance systems, radar, etc. Divested by MIT due to
student protest two decades ago.
|
drop
|
(1) v. To de-register for a subject
during a term. (2) n. Network access point. (3) n. Type of sodium experiment
performed by Third East.
|
Drunkle
|
Runkle, Senior Haus (back in
the day).
|
DSL
|
(1) Dean for Student Life (4-110,
x3-4052). (2) Digital Subscriber Line; alums often use this to get Internet
when they can’t suck the Institute’s digital teat anymore.
|
DUE
|
Dean for Undergraduate
Education (4-110, 3-6056).
|
DUSP
|
[pronounced dusp] Department of Urban
Studies and Planning (Course XI).
|
dweeb
|
n. Similar to nerd (q.v.),
but more disparaging.
|
EAsT CamPUS
|
(1) n. Areas and structures of MIT east
of building 10, often associated with the dorms and denizens of EC (2) adj.
Sharing some aspect of the demeanor, persona, and/or ideals of the average
East Campus resident. (3) See EC.
|
EAPS
|
[pronounced eeps] Earth,
Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (Course XII).
|
EC
|
East Campus, the dorm. Officially
however it refers to Educational Counselors the alum that take your MIT
Admissions Interview
|
EE
|
Electrical Engineering
(Course VI-1).
|
EECS
|
[pronounced eeks or the individual
letters] Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course VI).
|
EIT
|
[rhymes with fight] (1) The
Engineer in Training exam, given each year to students en route to becoming
professional engineers. (2) An exclamation which originated at TEP, used when
someone is unfairly destroyed. Can be used as virtually any part of speech,
e.g., “I got eited on my 18.03 test.” (3) European Institute of Technology”
and (4) “Evil Institute of Technology”
|
emeritus
|
Retired from regular service with honor.
See professor.
|
Engineer(s)
|
Any athlete from MIT’s 41
varsity sports teams
|
-Er Joke
|
A set of jokes common on campus, e.g.,
“Fiddler on the Roof? But I just met her!”
|
Entropically favorable
|
(adj.): When the
disheveledness of our dorm room/ personal appearance/ mental state attains
mythic proportions, e. g “Why are you using toothpaste squeezed from a
ziplock bag?” “It was entropically favorable, Mom”
|
ESG
|
Experimental Study Group. An alternative
freshman program for cooler GIRs
|
ESP
|
Educational Studies Program.
Runs HSSP (q.v.) and Splash (q.v).
|
ET -
|
Epsilon Theta, a coed independent living
group (q.v.).
|
|
|
Facilities -
|
Worker that graciously cleans
up after you.
|
|
|
FAC
|
EC’s Friday Afternoon Club, a de-hosing
service..
|
FADC
|
Friday Afternoon Drinking
Club. Back in the day (when things were more hardcore ofc) the end of the
week was met with drinking in Talbot. The ‘tute removed the drinking and
started funding food Synonymous with FAC.
|
feed the tree
|
Shed blood on the Senior Haus tire swing.
The tree (a.k.a. The Angry God) is not pleased until it has drunk from you.
|
Fenway House
|
a coed independent living
group (q.v.).
|
|
|
Fifth East Friday Nights
|
Where the party is at.
|
Fiji
|
Phi Gamma Delta. Dissolved
at MIT after the death of Scott Krueger.
|
FinBoard
|
Finance Board. The undergraduate body
charged with proposing and administering the Undergraduate Association budget
and funding student activities.
|
Fishbowl
|
A former Project Athena
workstation cluster located off the Infinite Corridor in building 11, where
the Student Services Center now resides. Some claim that the building 12
cluster is a recreation.
|
5 O’Clock Club
|
Daily event at which the commuter
students used to hang out in the basement of Walker after classes, way back
in the day.
|
flushed
|
(1) pp. Turned down or out.
Disappointed in some endeavor, usually involved with selling oneself.
Examples: “I got flushed at the mixer,” “I just got flushed by [fill in
fraternity name here]”. (2) adj. Having a reddish hue on one’s face from heat,
exertion, or embarrassment. Example: “I got flushed at the mixer.” (3) pp.
Disposed of. When said of a person, this connotes dismissal or expulsion.
Example: “I got flushed at the mixer.”
|
flame
|
(1) n. A savage castigation of someone
in a public forum, usually e-mail/dormspam. Usually written with the
intention of amusing or outraging uninvolved readers. (2) v. To write the
aforementioned devastating attack. Certain mailing lists exist specifically
for this purpose.
|
FPC
|
Faculty Policy Committee.
|
Fred
|
East Campus. Ask a resident for the
story.
|
frob
|
v.t. Abbreviated form of
frobnicate, meaning to manipulate, adjust, or tweak.
|
frosh
|
A freshman/first-year
|
FSILG
|
Fraternity, Sorority or
Independent Living Group.
|
funnelator
|
Home-made catapult device for launching
water balloons, eggs, rotting turkey carcasses etc. So named because the
simplest example consists of two lengths of surgical tubing connected to a
funnel which holds the projectiles. See also mariah. See. Putz
|
furry fish
|
Cat; references the general
rule that fish were the only pets officially permitted in dorms, except for
the ones that require them for rodent control.
|
fuxxor
|
(1) n. A meddling or incompetent fool.
Frequently written in leetspeak for added effect. (2) v. To shaft something
such that it becomes gronked. (3) int. Expression of frustration or
disappointment, e.g. “My fuxxor of a 6.270 partner just fuxxored our robot!
Fuxxor!”
|
G
|
Graduate student.
|
|
geek
|
A nerd in Course VI. (Q: What’s the
difference between a geek and a nerd? A: A geek has double-E.)
|
ghost
|
(1) n. A dorm resident who
lives unseen by neighboring students, often deliberately. (2) v. To sublet a
room from its official occupant.
|
GIR
|
General Institute Requirement. A class
that all undergraduates must pass in order to get their degree.
|
glitch
|
A bug; cause of sporadic
gronkedness (q.v.).
|
GPA
|
Grade Point Average. MIT’s is out of
5.0, as opposed to most places which grade on the 4.0 scale. Harvard’s answer
to this is grade inflation.
|
Great Dome
|
The dome on top of building
10. Bigger (and harder to get to) than the Little Dome.
|
Great Sail
|
See Big Sail.
|
|
Grogo
|
Former Mascot of Technique,
the MIT yearbook. A big gorilla.
|
gronked
|
Kaput, non-functioning.
|
GRT
|
Graduate Resident Tutor.
|
grunge
|
To throw away, especially an item in a
public space. “The Grunge Crew grunged my shopping cart!”
|
Grunge Crew
|
People hired to clear
hallways and clean empty rooms in dorms, especially prevalent just after
Spring term.
|
grungy
|
adj. (1) Grubby and dingy. What you feel
like after studying for 20 hours straight in 85 degree heat. (2) The opposite
of elegant; long, boring, complicated, painful, but often necessary. “This
18.03 problem set is disgustingly grungy.” Grungy work is often called
“grungework”.
|
GSC
|
Graduate Student Council.
The governing body for graduate students as a group (50-110, x3-2195).
|
hack
|
(1) n. A trick or prank. For example,
having a balloon pop up out of the field in the middle of the Hahvahd-Yale
football game or getting elected UAP are fine hacks. (2) n. An inelegant
shortcut to get something done quickly, for example in a computer program.
(3) v. To use or operate something in a manner outside its design or
published documentation; see kludge. (4) v. To explore ordinarily
inaccessible or unknown places; equivalent to “go hacking”. (5) v. To apply
oneself with utmost dedication in order to understand or become proficient in
something. Example: a computer hacker. Also connotes fanaticism.
|
hacker
|
n. (1) One who hacks. (2)
One who pulls hacks. (3) One who goes hacking.
|
Hahvahd
|
The big red-brick school, both Up The
Street and Up Chuck River;
|
Harvard Bridge
|
The Mass. Ave. bridge from
MIT to Boston, which measures 364.4 Smoots + 1 ear in length.
|
hand-wave
|
v. To attempt to explain something one
doesn’t actually understand or that doesn’t make any actual sense, or to
gloss over a question for which one wasn’t prepared. Sometimes performed by
professors and physics majors when taken by surprise.
|
hardcore
|
adj. (1) gilded age of MIT,
often reminisced as a state of extreme desirability; and superiority. (2) An
extreme dedication to a cause, often characterized by the willful disregard
of personal hardship or risk. (3) Generally extreme or excessive
|
HASS
|
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Undergraduates need some of these classes in order to graduate.
|
haxxor
|
(1) n. Derogatory term for
self-conscious hackers who go to great lengths to ensure that you notice that
they carry a multitool and wear all black. (2) v. To hack something in a
trivial or inept fashion.
|
Hell
|
n. (1) MIT. (2) The underground steam
tunnel from Vassar Street towards building 13.
|
hosed
|
adj. (1) Bogged down with
work, when referring to a person. (2) Bogged down with packets, when
referring to the network.
|
HowToGAMIT
|
The abbreviated, contentious name for
this book. Not to be confused with GAMIT (q.v.).
|
HSSP
|
High School Studies Program,
in which MIT students design and teach their own courses to high school
students. Run by ESP (q.v.).
|
Hub
|
(1) Boston.
|
Huntington Hall
|
Room 10-250.
|
|
IAP
|
Independent Activities Period. The month
of January at MIT, and the most liminal time to be on campus.
|
IFC
|
Interfraternity Council. The
central coordinating and governing body of the FSILGs (q.v.). Counterpart to
DormCon (q.v.).
|
IHTFP
|
(1) I Hate This Fucking Place. (2) I
Have Truly Found Paradise. (3) It’s Hard To Fondle Penguins. (4) I Help Tutor
Freshman Physics. (5) I Have To Forever Pay. (See TDM.)
|
Infinite Corridor
|
A quarter-mile hallway
through the heart of the Institute. At one time the longest continuous
straight corridor in the world.
|
The Institute
|
Affectionate name for MIT. See Hell.
|
Institute Professor
|
A prestigious honor
conferred on particularly outstanding professors (q.v.).
|
instructor
|
n. (1) Person who stands in front of
students and lets fall pearls of wisdom. (2) Academic rank in the lower
echelons of the junior faculty.
|
Interphase
|
An intensive summer academic
program for minorities, designed to ease the transition from high school to
MIT.
|
intuitively obvious
|
adj. (1) Too simpleminded to deserve
explanation. (2) More often, too abstruse to explain, if the speaker even
understands it at all.
|
I/S
|
Dated term to refer to MIT
Information Systems, Athena. Now officially known as IS&T.
|
IS&T
|
Information Services & Technology.
The newer, more corporate sounding and less efficient way to refer to I/S.
See PhysPlant.
|
“Is this the way to Baker
House?”
|
Classic line said by a
freshman to a Campus Police officer when caught during Orange Tours.
|
Jack Florey
|
n. (1) Mythical resident of Fifth East,
East Campus. (2) A hacking group associated with Fifth East.
|
James E Tetazoo
|
n. (1) Mythical resident of
Third East, East Campus. (2) A hacking group associated with Third East.
|
J Arthur Random
|
Mythical resident of Random Hall.
|
k
|
One thousand (of anything).
|
Killian Court
|
The large courtyard in the middle of
main campus, surrounded by buildings 1-4, building 10, and Memorial Drive.
Called the Great Court until it was named for former MIT President Killian
after his retirement.
|
Kiss of Death Award
|
The Baker Award, given to
professors who teach well. A surprisingly high percentage of Baker Award
recipients are subsequently denied tenure. Damned shame, too.
|
kludge
|
[rhymes with stooge] n. (1) A Rube
Goldberg-style device which appears unlikely to work but does anyhow. (2) A
method by which something is effectively but inelegantly made to perform a
function for which it was not designed. (3) Something complex that doesn’t
work, e.g., this definition.
|
Kresge
|
The hump between the Oval and
the athletic field. Used for lectures, theatre, movies, concerts,
conferences, and events
|
Krotus
|
Malevolent deity of Fifth East, East
Campus.
|
Lambchops
|
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
|
LCS
|
(1) Laboratory for Computer Science. Now
part of CSAIL (q.v.). (2) A student group for the study and appreceation of
chocolate.
|
lecturer
|
n. (1) One who lectures. (2)
Low, low academic rank (shame)
|
Little Dome
|
The dome on top of building 7. Smaller than
the Great Dome, but easier to see from Mass. Ave.
|
Little Sail
|
See Big Sail, Working Model.
|
living group
|
n. (1) The place where you live. (2) The
group of people with whom you live. (definitions may not apply for some
people found in the Student Center. See Stratton House).
|
L-Lab
|
Lincoln Laboratory, a
special MIT-affiliated laboratory located in Lexington. Its specialties
include optics, radio physics, data systems, radar, and re-entry systems.
|
LSC
|
Lecture Series Committee. A student
organization that puts on movies, lectures, and other entertainment for the
MIT community.
|
MBA
|
Master of Business
Administration. A degree pursued by many Sloanies (q.v.).
|
MBTA
|
Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.
Operates the Boston area mass transit during the day, well, not too horribly.
Known as the “T”.
|
MechE
|
[pronounced mek-ee]
Mechanical Engineering (Course II).
|
MEng
|
[pronounced emm-enj] Masters in
Engineering. Usually referring to Course 6, but available to Course 2, and
Course 11 students as well
|
MGH
|
Massachusetts General
Hospital.
|
MIT Community
|
n. (1) Nearly 20,000 students, faculty,
researchers, staff, and employees at MIT. Sometimes used more expansively to
include their families and also alumni. (2) An indefinable, probably mythical
item invented by Admins (q.v.) to justify the implementation of various
private projects .
|
MITERS
|
MIT Electronic Research
Society.
|
MITFCU
|
MIT Federal Credit Union. Not pronounced
“MIT-fuck-you” despite possible temptation, as the Credit Union is actually
very cool.
|
MITOC
|
MIT Outing Club.
|
|
MITSFS
|
MIT Science Fiction Society. Pronounced
“mittsfiss” or “mitt-siffs,” but never “misfits.”
|
MITSO -
|
MIT Symphony Orchestra.
|
|
|
moat
|
The wet thing wrapped around the Chapel.
A good place to throw obnoxious people.
|
MOF
|
Most Obnoxious Freshman.
Awarded at Senior Haus during Steer Roast (q.v.).
|
MSE
|
Materials Science and Engineering
(Course III).
|
MTG
|
Musical Theatre Guild.
|
munge
|
v. To mangle, mutilate, or mess up
badly.
|
Mystery Hunt
|
The famous annual
weekend-long puzzle competition held during IAP (q.v.).
|
n
|
An indeterminable number, originating in
most intro to CS courses (6.100A) with various connotations, as in “There are
n ways to beat (or get screwed by) the system.”
|
nerd
|
[pronounced gnurd] n. (1)
Someone with a high level of expertise in an esoteric, usually technical
field. A badge of honor at the Institute, e.g., “Nerd pride”. (2) Someone who
studies too much. See tool.
|
nonoptimal
|
adj. (1) In need of improvement. (2)
Horribly bad.
|
nontrivial
|
adj. (1) difficult. (2)
Impossible. (See trivial.)
|
November Rule
|
n. A rule that forbids relationships for
all relationship until November (1st or 30th is
fungible apparently)
|
nuke
|
(1) n. Nuclear power plant.
(2) n. Nuclear weapon. (3) v. To attack with a nuclear weapon, e.g., “Nuke
‘em ‘til they glow.” (4) adj. Damage caused by a microwave oven, e.g., “Nuke
alert!”, or by a jock (q.v.), e.g., “My knee’s nuked thanks to him.” (4) v. To
cook in a microwave oven, e.g., “I’ll just nuke some dinner.”
|
NukeE
|
[pronounced nuke-ee] Nuclear Engineering
(Course XXII).
|
Orange Tour
|
A guided excursion to some
of the Institute’s less-publicized architectural sights. To get on one, ask a
hacker.
|
ORK
|
Order of Random Knights, a hacking group
based in Random Hall.
|
OSMCS
|
Office of Student Mediation
and Community Standards
|
OSP
|
Office of Sponsored Programs. An
administrative apparatus overseeing outside research grants and works at MIT.
|
Ozok the Destroyer
|
Mascot of Random Hall
|
pants
|
n. (1) A condition or thing that is
notable in the event of its absence. Often refers to the ability to get
things done effectively and competently, e.g., “My TA helped me find my pants
after office hours.” (2) What people are ultimately trying to get into when
they hit on someone, e.g., “My TA helped me find my pants after office
hours.”
|
petition
|
(1) n. A form used to
request something unusual with regard to academics, (2) v. To fill out a
petition form, submit it to the proper authorities, and satisfy other
protocols associated with that kind of activity. (3) v. To request a delay on
an Incomplete, an administrative means of procrastination.
|
placement
|
The process of career counseling,
graduate school counseling, and finding a job (summer, temporary, or
permanent).
|
pika
|
A coed independent living
group (q.v.), formerly Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
|
|
|
policy
|
n. (1) A predefined set of procedures
for handling certain situations or processes. (2) What Admins use as an
excuse after a failed attempt to hand-wave.
|
postdoc
|
Someone who already has a
Ph.D but is still pursuing Academia
|
powertool
|
(1) n. An electrically operated tool.
(2) v. What one has to do to catch up on the entire term in any given course
the night before the final exam in that course.
|
pox card
|
Derisive nickname for RFID
proximity access cards. Refers to the inherent security flaw associated with
such devices, namely that the transmission of identifying data can be both
triggered and collected without the knowledge or consent of the holder.
|
prefrosh
|
Designation before First-Year “Those
happy few who can still decide whether or not to come to MIT”
|
President’s Courtyard
|
See Alumni Association
President’s Court
|
professor
|
n. (1) Person teaching a course. (2)
Academic rank with three levels (assistant, associate, full) comprising the
main body of the faculty. (3) Institute Professor: Academic post recognizing
exceptional distinction. Institute Professors can work as they wish on
research and teaching, without regard for formal boundaries and duties. (4)
Professor Emeritus: Faculty member who has reached 70 (mandatory retirement
age) but who is working (legally) at up to 50% of his or her former load. (5)
Tenured professor: A professor who never has to say “I’m sorry.”
|
Project Athena
|
A project to integrate
computers into MIT academics; the origin of the current Athena system.
|
Provost
|
Currently L. Rafael Reif. The senior
academic officer, who assists the President of the Institute in addition to
carrying on projects of his own.
|
prox card
|
Contraction of Proximity
Card. See pox card.
|
punt
|
(1) v.t. To determine after analytical
deliberation not to do something, said something often academic in nature.
(2) v.i. To be in the process of not doing something. (3) For those on CME
(q.v.), to use a long pole to propel a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat along
a shallow river.
|
putz
|
(1) v. To do something in a
ridiculous manner or for no justifiable reason. (2) n. One who putzes. (3) n.
Second West, East Campus; also known as Pi Tau Zeta. (4) n. A resident of
Putz.
|
Quantum _______
|
Phrase used investors, your cue to tune
out
|
quantum
mechanics
|
People who repair quanta.
(what a terrible joke
|
|
|
RA
|
(1) Research Assistant. Usually a
graduate student employed by a department, receiving pay plus a tuition
allowance for research. Often funded by outside grants. (2) Resident Advisor.
FSILG equivalent of a GRT (q.v.).
|
RAC
|
Room Assignment Chair.
Student representative, usually elected, that determines who lives where in a
dorm, floor or entry.
|
random
|
(1) adj. short for Random Hall (2) adj.
Indeterminate, sometimes connoting number. (3) adj. Without order, garbled.
(4) n. Average person.
|
Randomite
|
Resident of Random Hall.
|
RBA
|
Residence-Based Advising. A program to
prevent freshmen in McCormick and Next from transferring dorms or
participating in REX.
|
Red Staple
|
Sculpture by Tang Hall.
Officially named “For Marjorie.”
|
REX
|
Residence EXploration. Politically
correct new term for Dorm Rush, a phrase which apparently terrorized parents
with its connotations of potentially dangerous haste. The revamped acronym
instead conjures family-friendly images of Greeks named Oedipus.
|
RFID
|
Radio Frequency
Identification (q.v.). Used in your ID Cards
|
Rho-17
|
Symbol of Random Hall
|
RLE
|
Research Laboratory of
Electronics, an interdisciplinary lab in building 36.
|
RMS
|
n. (1) Root Mean Square, the square root
of the mean squared deviation of a signal from a given baseline or fit. (2)
Richard M. Stallman, AI Lab denizen and founder of the GNU free software
project.
|
ROTC
|
[pronounced rot-see] Reserve
Officer Training Corps. Military officer training program operating within
MIT and some other colleges.
|
Rush
|
(1) Any allotted period of time where
members of several groups (usually dorms or FSILGS (q.v.)) attempt to recruit
new members (residents or pledges) via competing events or series of events.
Also see REX. (2) Officially, the period of time after REX in which FSILGS
hold their Rush.
|
SAA
|
Student Art Association.
|
SAO
|
Student Activities Office. Group in
charge of student activities and associated social function prevention and
other meddling. The people you have to see to fill out pages of forms if you
want to throw a party.
|
Sala
|
La Sala de Puerto
Rico. Large
all-purpose room in the Student Center donated by Puerto Rico.
|
screw
|
(1) n, v. Bad thing, such as the
Institute Screw or “screwed to the wall.”
|
scrod
|
(1) n. A baby codfish
popular to eat in Massachusetts. Example: “I got scrod at the Dining Hall.”
(2) v. Past tense of screw. Example: “I got scrod at the Dining Hall.”
|
secretary
|
One who is paid starvation wages to run
everything.
|
Secret Ninja Courtyard
|
The courtyard bounded by
buildings 8, 6, 2 and 4. Also known as the Atomic Courtyard.
|
SGS
|
Strategic Games Society.
|
Senior Haus
|
(1). Affectionate phrase to
refer to the late Senior House, not to be confused with “Senior House.”
|
shaft
|
(1) v. To damage or otherwise screw
something up. (2) v. To drop something from a great height, in particular the
roof of Random Hall. (3) n. An enclosed vertical tunnel, such as where
elevators or pipes run. (4) v. To climb a vertical tunnel, for example while
hacking.
|
SIPB
|
[pronounced sip-bee] Student
Information Processing Board.
|
sketchy
|
Insalubrious.
|
|
Sleep
|
A rare physiological
condition that many weaker students periodically experience whose symptoms
include falling into a temporary coma-like state and, sometimes, extended
hallucinations. Claimed side effects include physical and mental respite,
though these claims have not yet been verified.
|
slime
|
(1) n. Term applied to the guest each
LSC member gets to admit to the movies for free. (2) v. Particularly
egregious attempt by upperclassmen or crust to hit on a frosh, especially
before November.
|
Sloanie
|
n. (1) Member of the Sloan
School of Management (Course XV). (2) Someone who can’t do math.
|
SLP
|
Student Life Programs(Antiquated) See
SAO
|
slug
|
Resident of Fourth East,
East Campus.
|
Smoot
|
A unit of length equal to the height of
Oliver Smoot ’62, most commonly used for the Harvard Bridge (364.4 Smoots
plus 1 ear).
|
snow
|
(1) n. Brown, cold particles
that cover sidewalks and gutters through Boston winters. Rumored to contain
water. Now also available in blue and pink variations.
|
Splash
|
Event run by ESP (q.v.) the weekend
before Thanksgiving. Members of the MIT community teach whatever they want to
high school students.
|
Sponge
|
Nickname for Simmons Hall
dormitory, based on its reputed ability to soak up beer.
|
Sport Death
|
Philosophy at Senior Haus. Ask a
resident for an introduction.
|
Squanch
|
n. A short fellow with a
picket sign and a wilted flower.
|
squat
|
v. To circumvent a housing lottery by
opting to stay in the same place. Depending on a dorm’s RAC (q.v.) policy
(q.v.), possession may be ten-tenths of the law.
|
Squinto
|
Nichols 2, 3 and 4 of Senior
Haus (back in the day).
|
Stab Cab
|
n. see Fuck Truck
|
|
Stratton House
|
n. (1) Student Center (3rd,
4th, and 5th floors). (2) Not just a living group, a way of life.
|
Steer Roast
|
annual Senior Haus party at which said
animal is actually roasted, amid various other activities. Tradition dates
back to the mid-sixties.
|
structural
|
(1) Presently holding
something else up, such as a ceiling. Example: “Don’t lean on that, it’s
structural.” (2) Able to hold something else up, such as a person. Example:
“Don’t lean on that, it’s not structural.”
|
subject
|
One or two professors, n students, a
room, a formal curriculum, a formal subject number, and a formal grade,
except when it isn’t.
|
suboptimal
|
See nonoptimal.
|
|
SWE
|
Society of Women Engineers.
|
TA
|
Teaching Assistant. Usually
a grad student employed by a department, receiving pay plus a tuition
allowance for teaching duties. Funded by the Institute.
|
Tangerine Tour
|
an Orange Tour, for prefrosh.
|
TDM
|
Too Damned Much. Refers to
tuition or information.
|
TEAL
|
Technology Enabled Active Learning. A
new, futuristic method of teaching freshman physics that attempts to use
technology to replace learning.
|
The ‘Institvte
|
Refers to the Engravings
within MIT’s Dome Engraving that stylizes all the “U” as “V”s[MM1]
|
The Tech
|
A student-written and published
newspaper that appears in Lobby 7 and other random places on Tuesdays and
Fridays (except summers and Institute holidays).
|
TechCASH
|
Official name of the
declining-balance retail payment system attached to the MIT card. Preferred
by the Institute to the more accurate but less diplomatic term “parents’
cash”.
|
Tech Square
|
n. (1) Member of the MIT Square Dancing
Club. (2) Group of buildings located northeast of MIT, location of the
offices of the MITFCU and numerous tech companies.
|
Tech Talk
|
The official MIT newspaper
published every Wednesday (except summers and Institute holidays).
|
Terrascope
|
An alternative freshman program
involving earth studies.
|
Tetazoo
|
Third floor of EAsT CamPUS.
|
Tetazoot Suit
|
What people who live on Tetazoo wear.
|
TFM
|
See TDM.
|
|
|
THA
|
[redacted]
|
|
Tin Rat
|
(1) Hunk of steel that is a
modern alternative to the Brass Rat (q.v.). Slightly less ugly
|
TMRC
|
[pronounced tumurk] Tech Model Railroad
Club.
|
tomb
|
An enclosed space, often
created when a new building is put next to an old one without fully
coordinating the floorplans. They tend to be named by the first hackers to
find them.
|
tonic
|
Soda, New England style.
|
tool
|
(1) v. To study. (See
powertool.) (2) n. One who studies to an extreme. Connotes over-concentration
on problem sets. Supertool: an extreme extreme. (3) n. MIT student. Slightly
derogatory. See nerd.
|
Towers
|
5th and 6th floor “penthouse” suite area
of Senior Haus.
|
Towers Bug
|
Particular variety of house
centipede often encountered in Towers (q.v.).
|
Transparent Horizons
|
Artwork left by Louise Nevelson in the
East Campus courtyard, “best appreciated by facing away from it.”
|
trash
|
To destroy or vandalize,
especially during a riot.
|
trivial
|
adj. (1) Obvious. Often said
sarcastically. (2) Easy to do.
|
Tuition Riot
|
Traditional “spontaneous”
demonstration held to celebrate a tuition increase. See TDM.
|
‘Tute
|
MIT. See Institute.
|
|
twinkie
|
A person belonging to the
loose social group surrounding the Assassins’ Guild, SIPB, MITSFS, SGS, also
APO and LSC to a lesser extent. Often characterized by punting a lot in
myriad ways, usually involving games of some sort, usually as nerdy as
possible.
|
UA
|
Undergraduate Association.
|
Unstructural
|
To rubes “potentially unsafe,
likely to suffer mechanical failure.”
At MIT, “unstructural” means “run away from this as fast as you can.” e. g “I
hear that East Campus’ homemade roller coaster is especially unstructural
this year.”
|
UROP
|
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program. A source of credit and dollars for many undergrads. V. to simply
work in a research project
|
voodoo
|
Shamanistic religion
originating in Haiti; notorious for cult-like behaviour and turning some of
its members into zombies.
|
Voo Doo
|
MIT’s humor magazine; notorious for
cult-like behaviour and turning some of its members into zombies.
|
W1MX
|
MIT amateur (“ham”) radio
society.
|
W1XM
|
MIT amateur (“ham”) radio repeater.
|
Waffle Haus
|
Nickname for Simmons Hall
dormitory, based on its reputed ability to soak up whipped cream.
|
wanking
|
(1) n, v. Self-indulgent pontification.
(2) v. What nuns probably don’t do.
|
Weather Machine
|
Top-secret device owned by
MIT to ensure nice weather for short, strategic periods of time (usually
during CPW (q.v.) and commencement) in order to convince prefrosh (q.v.) and
parents that New England weather isn’t so bad.
|
Wellesley
|
Just make sure she doesn’t know where
you live.
|
West Campus
|
(1) n. Areas and structures
of MIT west of building 10, often associated with the dorms, FSILGs (q.v.)
and denizens west of Bexley. (2) adj. Sharing some aspect of the demeanor,
persona, and/or ideals of the average resident in one of the West Campus
dorms.
|
WHOI
|
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
|
WMBR
|
Walker Memorial Basement
Radio, MIT’s radio station at 88.1 FM.
|
Women’s League
|
Service and social organization for all
MIT women. Once upon a time named Tech Matrons.
|
wonky
|
Askew.
|
|
|
WYSIWYG
|
What You See Is What You Get. Generally
refers to publishing software that attempts to provide an accurate screen
preview of the printed output. Mockingly renamed WYSIAYG (“What You See Is
All You Get”) by typesetting language aficionado Leslie Lamport, for the lack
of control of detail below the resolution of the screen. Other derivatives
include WYSIWYP, such as Mountain Dew or $6 pitchers of Budweiser at the
Muddy.
|
Z-Center
|
Zesiger Center, the
athletics complex.
|
Zebe
|
Zeta Beta Tau fraternity brother.
|