This glossary should help clear up any questions about Cambridge slang, which can seem a bit opaque at first. It can also be downloaded as a PDF file below.
| ASNAC | Students studying Anglo-Saxon and Norse and Celtic |
| Backs | The stretch along the river, looking over colleges such as Kings, Clare, and Trinity |
| Bedder | The cleaners employed by college to clean student rooms and gyps |
| Benefactor’s Dinner | An annual dinner held for students who achieve first class marks in the previous year |
| Bio/Phys Natsci | Biological/Physical Natural Scientist |
| BNOC | Big Name On Campus – an annual poll run by The Tab to determine the most well known students in Cambridge |
| Boaties | Rowers |
| BOPs | Big Organised Parties, usually involving a theme and dressing up |
| Bridgemas | Cambridge christmas held on the 25th November |
| Bumps | A rowing race that occurs twice a year where colleges compete to outpace and ‘bump’ the boat in front |
| Buttery | College canteen |
| C (Cesarean) – Sunday | An annual picnic on Jesus Green, held in Easter term |
| Cam Card | Cambridge university card |
| Cambridge Blue | Someone who plays on the University team for a sport |
| Cambridge Union | The main Cambridge University debating society |
| CamCors | A Cambridge university website where supervisor reports are published |
| CamDram | The Cambridge drama and theatre community |
| CamFess | A Cambridge University facebook group |
| CamSis | A Cambridge University website where exam timetables and results are published |
| Castle Mound/Clound | A hill behind Castle Court that offers a panoramic view of Cambridge |
| Castle/Clastle Court | Clare college accommodation located in Chesterton, near Magdelene College. |
| Catz | St Catherine’s College |
| Cellars | The Clare College bar |
| Clafe | The Clare college cafe |
| Clalleyway | The alleyway between Clare and Tit Hall that is accessible at all times to Clare students. |
| Clanyard | Clare College lanyards |
| Clardens | Clare college gardens |
| Clare Compliments/Complaints | A Clare College facebook page |
| Clare Tent Menu | An instagram account that publishes the Clare College buttery menu every week |
| ClareNOC | The most publicly known Clare student as elected by the Clare student body |
| Clarification | The Clare college student newspaper |
| Clavenue | The avenue connecting the backs and Clare bridge |
| Cleach | The grassy bank of the Clare college gardens leading down the Cam |
| Clidge | Clare college bridge |
| Cloffee/Clake | Items that can be purchased from the Clare college cafe |
| Clunch | Clare College brunch that occurs on Saturdays |
| Cluttery | An affectionate name for the Clare college buttery |
| College family | New students are assigned college parents in the year above, which act as mentors. Students will then ‘marry’ in their first year and be assigned ‘children’ upon entering second year. |
| Compsci | Computer Scientist |
| CrsID | The combination of letters and numbers found at the start of your email abc123@cam.ac.uk |
| Crushbridge | A Cambridge University facebook group where people submit anonymously submit confessions of attraction |
| Cuppers | Intercollegiate sports competitions |
| David Quan | An iconic Education student who graduated in 2023 and now works at Goldman-Sachs. Host of the podcast “Coffee’s on me David Quan” |
| DoS | Director of Studies |
| Eduroam | The main university Wifi system |
| Emma | Emmanuel College |
| ENTs | Events in cellars, usually with live music. |
| Father Jonothon (aka. Lola) | The black and white cat found in Castle Court |
| Fellow | An academic employed by a college |
| Fitz | Fitzwilliam college |
| FML | Forbes Mellon Library – The Clare college library |
| Footlights | A comedy society with many famous alumni |
| Formal | A 3 course evening meal in the main Hall usually consisting of risotto, chicken, and a dessert of some kind. |
| Gardies | Gardenia – a popular establishment that sells food late into the night |
| Grantchester | A nearby village that is a popular walking route for students |
| Grantchester Meadows | A floodplain that is popularly frequented by students in the warmer months |
| Gyp | A small student kitchen |
| HSPS | Human, Social, and Political Science |
| JCR | Junior Common Room – The Undergraduate population of a college |
| LCR | Library Common Room |
| Lolas | A retired tiki themed nightclub in Cambridge (rip) |
| Mainsburys | The large Sainsburys in central Cambridge |
| Mathmo | A maths student |
| Matriculation | The ceremony welcoming students into a college |
| May Week | The 10 days in June after exams. |
| MCR | Middle Common Room – The Postgraduate population of a college. Also the postgraduate college bar. |
| Medwards | Murray Edwards – an all girls college |
| Mem | Memorial Court. One of the courts at Clare college. |
| MML | Modern and Mediaeval languages |
| Moodle | A website where academic resources such as lecture notes, slides, and lecture recordings can be found |
| Muso | A music student |
| Odysseus/Ody | The ginger cat found around Memorial Court and the University library |
| PBS | Psychological and Behavioural science |
| Plodge | Porters Lodge |
| Punt | A wooden boat that is pushed down the Cam using a large stick |
| Punty McPuntface | A recently retired Clare college undergraduate punt |
| Raid | A queer club night in the night club Mash |
| Raven | The old Cambridge University internet thing |
| Revs | A club in Cambridge that hosts a popular night on Wednesdays |
| Senate House | The large white building on King’s parade where graduations occur |
| Sidbar | The Sidney Sussex College Bar |
| Sidge | Sidgwick site where many humanities departments are based |
| Sister College | The O****d college twinned with a specific Cambridge college, usually due to the name, or the time of their founding |
| Soc | Society |
| Spacefinder | A Cambridge University resource for finding study spaces |
| Stash | University, College, or Society mercahndise |
| Stonecold | The Clare college drink |
| SU | Cambridge University Student Union |
| Supo | A supervision |
| Swap | Where members of a college host members of other colleges, usually for formals or other society events |
| Teddies | St Edmunds – a postgraduate college |
| The Cam | The river flowing through Cambridge |
| The Roost | The Jesus College bar |
| The Tent | An affectionate name for Clare buttery |
| Ticketbridge | A popular facebook group used by Cambridge students to exchange tickets to events – usually popular club nights |
| Tit Hall | Trinity Hall College |
| Topping tripos | Gaining the best mark across the whole cohort in a specific tripos subject and ranking 1st. |
| Trinmo | A maths student at Trinity College |
| Tripos | A 3 year teaching system adopted by many departments |
| U-Bus | A shuttle bus that connects the various University sites |
| UCS | The Union of Clare Students |
| UL | University library |
| UPay | An app through which formals can be booked |
| Van of Life | A van that sells food in the market square until late |
| Varsity | The main Cambridge University student paper |
| Varticle | An article from the student newspaper, Varsity |
| Wub | West Hub – a STEM campus beyond the University library |