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Vocabulary Words and Terms Commonly Heard in a University Setting

• Ace - do well on a test
  "I think I aced the exam."
• Add - enter a course for which you were originally not signed up
• ASAP - As Soon as Possible
  "Please respond ASAP."
• BA - Bachelor of Arts
• BFA - Bachelor of Fine Arts
• Blow off - to purposely not attend a meeting or do an assignment
  "I blew off class today."
• Blue - feeling depressed and sad
• BS - Bachelor of Science
• Buck - one dollar
• By the skin of your teeth - just barely passed a test or avoided a problem
  "I just passed that class by the skin of my teeth."
• Cool - agreeable; okay; excellent
• Cop - police officer
• Couch potato - lazy person; someone who watches TV all day
  "I was a couch potato all weekend."
• Cram - study frantically at the last minute for a test
• Crash - fall asleep; show up uninvited
  "I was so tired last night that I just went home and crashed."
  "I crashed the party."
• Cut - purposely miss a class
  "Why did you cut class today?"
• Dorm - abbreviation for dormitory; a University building where students live; also called a Residence Hall
• Down to Earth - practical; simple; easy to be with
  "She is so friendly and down to earth."
• Drive up the wall - irritate; annoy "My little brother drives me up the wall!"
• Drop - leave a course for which you were signed up
• Get under one's skin - bother; annoy
• "Give me a ring" - "Call me on the telephone."
• Give the cold shoulder - ignore
• Hangout - gather with friends in a casual setting
• Hit the road - leave
  "Come on, let's hit the road."
• Hold your horses - stay calm; don't get upset "Hold your horses. I'm coming."
• Jock - athlete
• Lemon - newly purchased car or TV that doesn't work
• Major - primary field of study
• MBA - Master of Business Administration
• Minor - secondary field of study (if student chooses to have one)
• NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association
• Once in a blue moon - infrequently, not very often
  "I'm so busy studying that I only go out once in a blue moon."
• Pass the buck - blame or give responsibility to someone else
• Piece of cake - easy
• Pig out - overeat
• Pop quiz - test that is not announced
• RSVP - formal reply to an invitation
• RA - Resident Assistant, person in charge of a Residence Hall floor
• Ripped off - charged too much; stolen from
• Shoot the breeze - talk or chat
• Spill the beans - reveal a secret
• Take a rain check - postpone for another time
  "I can't go to the movies today because I've got to study for a test. Can we take a rain check?"
• Take for granted - assume something will be done or someone will do something
• "What's up?" - "How are you?"