U of U Slang

Know the slang, know the school. The following is a list of things you really need to know before coming to U of U. The more of these words you know, the better off you'll be.

ASUU – The abbreviated form for the Associated Students of the University of Utah, the student government.

BYU – Brigham Young University is the other big university in Utah, and the U's rival. It is privately owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Chrony – Abbreviated name for The Daily Utah Chronicle, the U's award-winning student newspaper.

Commuter campus— Virtually every qualifying statement about the U begins or ends with the phrase “because it's a commuter campus.” Since so many students live off campus (sometimes in other cities) and drive or take public transport to school, it is a “commuter campus.”

Greek Row – The creatively named row of houses for fraternities and sororities along the north side of campus.

Hook Up card – ASUU produces a free card designed to help “hook you up” with deals and discounts throughout the Salt Lake valley (more formally called the “student discount card”).

The Muss – Student section of Rice-Eccles Stadium. The second verse of the U of U fight song includes the phrase “no other gang of college men dare meet us in a muss.” Muss is an archaic, early 20th century term that means something like “brawl.” One clever Chrony columnist made fun of what a ridiculous fight song the U has in 2002, focusing specifically on that silly “muss” term. In response, the U Football Fan Club printed up a huge sign which reads “The Muss” and put it up in the student section—where no other gang of college men dare meet us.

Parking Nazi – Derogatory term for parking enforcement. Dressed in red, white, and black, these jack-booted thugs patrol campus on bicycles and mercilessly and brutally hand out parking tickets like, well, Nazis.