Terriers (St. Francis College teams)
St. Francis College in Brooklyn ("The small college of big dreams") has some competitive sports teams. For reasons that its website does not explain, those teams are nicknamed the…
Toaster (Columbia University Law School)
Columbia University's Law School has been said to look like a toaster. That's one of the better comments on several of Columbia's newer buildings.…
True Happiness Ended Since It Started (“thesis” backronym)
Working on a thesis can be an all-encompassing endeavor. The word "thesis" is not an acronym, but it's sometimes been given the backronym (back acronym) of "True Happiness Ended…
Underwater Basket Weaving (easy, nonsense college course)
"Underwater basket weaving" (or "basketweaving") is a joke college course that is known to be an easy grade and/or a worthless subject. Few colleges and universities teach…
University in Exile (New School for Social Research)
The New School for Social Research was famous for its "University in Exile" during the 1930s. Many Jewish scholars, discarded by universities in Nazi Germany, came to New York City to…
University of Havana-North (Columbia University)
Television show commentator Bill O'Reilly (host of he O'Reilly Factor on Fox News) called Columbia University "University of Havana-North" in his "Talking Points" memo…
University of Life
The "university of life" is the experience gained outside of formal schooling. The term "university of life" has been cited in print since at least 1853. A term similar to the…
Victory Lap (an extra year of school)
A "victory lap" in sports is when someone wins a race, and then takes an extra lap for the fans to celebrate. A "victory lap" in education is when a student takes an extra year…
Violets, Bobcats (NYU teams)
NYU has a sports symbol from...a library catalog? http://www.nyu.edu/athletics/clubs/mascots/history.htmlHistory of the BobcatFor more than 100 years, New York University athletes have worn the…
Wossamotta U or Whatsamatta U (fictional university)
"Whatsamatta" is dialect speech for "what's the matter." "Whatsamatta witcha?" was cited in 1925 in the comic strip Reg'lar Fellers by Gene Byrnes…
Yankees of Chess (Hunter College Campus Schools & Murrow HS)
Several New York City schools are so successful in chess tournaments that they've been called "the Yankees of chess." New York magazineMay 23, 2005 issue of New York Magazine(...)By…
Zoo School (Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation)
The Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation is a high school located at 2024 Mohegan Avenue in the Bronx. It's been called the "Zoo School" because of the school's…
Zoominar (Zoom + seminar)
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic caused many people to stay at home and go to work/school remotely -- often by using Zoom. Many students attended a "Zoominar" or "zoominar" (Zoom +…