The ultimate Freshers’ Week guide to Cambridge slang

Cambridge can be a strange place at times – which is definitely not helped by the fact that some of the slang used here can sound completely alien, especially as a fresher. So, to help solve some of your inevitable confusion, here is my list of the most important Cambridge-specific terms that you need to know as a fresher:

Buttery

A college canteen or cafeteria – also known by some colleges as a “servery”.

DoS

Director of Studies – the Fellow (usually from your college) responsible for providing you with academic advice and support.

Engling

Used to refer to English students.

Formal

A three course meal held in college with formal attire and gowns – can initially seem scary, but is a super fun experience, especially with friends!

Gyp

Used by some colleges to refer to their (often tiny) shared kitchens.

Hill Colleges

Refers to the colleges located in the Castle Hill area north of Central Cambridge – Churchill, Fitzwilliam, Lucy Cavendish and St Edmunds.

The Grove at Fitzwilliam College

JCR

Junior Combination Room – the elected student representative council of each college.

Mainsburys

Sidney Street Sainsbury’s, the main supermarket in town – not to be confused with Eddington Sainsbury’s (Farawayinsburys) or St Andrew’s Street Sainsbury’s Local (Slocal).

Mathmo

Used to refer to Maths students.

Trinmo

This refers to Trinity College Maths students – there are so many of them that they get their own nickname.

Matriculation

The process by which students are formally admitted as members of the university, and is usually marked by a formal dinner in college – even more formal than a regular formal!

Matriculation at Fitz! (Image credits: Emma Podd)

NatSci

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Pronounced Nat-Ski and used to refer to natural sciences students – can be further divided into bio NatSci (biological natural sciences) and Phys NatSci (physical natural sciences).

Pidge

Pigeon Hole – where student’s post is stored, often located in the Porters’ Lodge.

Plodge

Porters’ Lodge – where the porters (the very helpful college custodians) are located, usually at the main entrance to a college.

Sidge

Sidgwick Site – where most humanities subjects are based, and the home of the infamous “Sidge Girl”.

The History Faculty on Sidgwick Site

Supo

Supervision – the small-group teaching format that Cambridge is famous for.

Tripos

Used to refer to undergraduate degrees – all undergrads sit for a particular tripos e.g. history or medicine.

Tutor

The fellow from your college that is responsible for giving you pastoral and wellbeing support.

I hope this guide makes navigating the weird world of Cambridge (at least a bit) more understandable. Freshers, you’ve got this!

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