Sorority Sauce (ranch dressing)

“Sorority sauce” has been a slang nickname for “ketchup” since at least World War II. Since about 2006, ranch dressing has been called “sorority sauce” at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The reasons for this are unknown, but many Texans have long loved ranch dressing.
 
 
Wikipedia: Ranch dressing
Ranch dressing is an American condiment. The dressing is made of buttermilk or sour cream, mayonnaise, minced green onion, and other seasonings mixed into a sauce. Ranch dressing is one of the top two styles of salad dressing in the United States, together with blue cheese.
 
7 March 1942, Army Times, pg. 12, col. 1:
G. I. Slang in P. I.:
A Slightly Censored Glossary of Terms
Used by MacArthur’s Boys to Express
Themselves Between Raids on Bataan
(...)
“Sorority sauce”—catsup.
   
23 September 1996, Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, pg. 13?, col. 5:
Winchester Sauce
(also known as Sorority Sauce)
     
Daily Toreador (Texas Tech)
Cheers and jeers finish out year
Abbie Kopf/Columnist
Issue date: 5/1/06 Section: Opinion
 
Most people I have met at Texas Tech develop a love-hate relationship with the city of Lubbock. Many students have some of the best times of their lives here, granted they still hate the city because there is nothing to do (though let’s not forget the National Ranching Heritage Center). Though I use my columns to complain about the ills of society, I myself both love and hate Lubbock and Tech, and would like to offer some cheers and jeers as I leave to start a new phase in my life.
 
Cheers to: Sorority girls. While it’s true that as a waitress I tire of getting your kids meals and chips with ranch (we call it sorority sauce), I have to say that I believe that you ladies are getting a bad rap.
 
Chowhound - Regional “Food Quirks”
In the college town in Texas where I live, tortilla chips and salsa are served at practically every restaurant - but some people (namely, the college set) like to eat tortilla chips with ranch dressing, hence the nickname “sorority sauce” for ranch. And we have ranch on pizza here, too.
 
RaiderCake Oct 14, 2007 07:15PM