Yale Slang

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

Blue Book

This Bible of class listings and descriptions is your shopping guide to academics.

Bursar

A method of charging bookstore goods and Yale services to your ID card. The Bursar bill gets sent home to your parents!

CCL

Cross Campus Library. This is the underground home of weenie bins and lots of ‘70s furniture. Almost as popular a place for socializing as for studying. Also, late hours mean lots of snoozing studiers.

Couch Duty

There are two people getting it on in your bedroom, and you are not one of them. Guess where you get to sleep? Also known as “sexile.”

D.S.

Directed Studies. Also known as Directed Suicide and Deep Sh*t. This is a freshman program that comprises three of your classes every semester (philosophy, literature, and history/politics). Now when someone mentions Kant, you can say in all honesty, “Critique of Pure Reason? I hated Critique of Pure Reason!”

DUH

Acronym still used to refer to the old Department of University Health, even though they changed the name to University Health Services about 20 years ago. Have a stomach ache? According to these professionals, either you're pregnant or you're probably pregnant.

Durfee

The Durfee Sweet Shoppe. This coffee and snack shop is located in the basement of Durfee on Old Campus. A great place to score late-night snacks.

Gut

An easy class that takes the stress out of a busy schedule and fulfills distributional requirements. See “Listening to Music,” better known as “Clapping for Credit.”

Legacy

A student who got into Yale because his or her parent or relative went here.

Machine City

A subterranean oasis connecting CCL and Sterling. It's a common place for study groups and TA meetings, and is home to vending machines that fulfill your study-induced munchies.

Reading Period

A week with no classes where students supposedly prepare for their finals. You'll party, you'll goof off, and you'll cry when finals come around.

Science Hill

The location of most science classes. A half-mile from Old Campus, this is God's way of punishing physics and bio-chemistry majors who would otherwise get no exercise.

Shopping Period

During the first two weeks of classes, Yale gives you the chance to preview potential classes without any commitment. Why do only four classes of reading when you can do fifteen? Still, it is a good opportunity to make sure your calculus teacher speaks English.

Spring Fling

During this campus-wide party the weekend before reading week, students blow off steam basking in the sun and listening to famous bands like Rusted Root or Wyclef.

The Stacks

Not only is this the dusty tower where you can get lost looking for books, it is also the location for Yale's famous stab at pornographic film.

Swing Space

Officially Boyd Hall. This relatively new dorm temporarily houses students while their colleges undergo renovations.

Weenie Bin

Similar to isolation tanks, the weenie bins are small, private study rooms in CCL.

The Whale

Purportedly a hockey rink, but it looks like a whale.