The official Sussex urban dictionary

Sorry, what’s a Pav Tav?

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A new term is upon us and many of us are eagerly returning from our respective small towns ready to be re-initiated into our trendy Brighton alter-egos. So whip out those highlighters and notepads again because now is the perfect time to brush up on your Sussex lingo!

Home to the biggest Pride festival in the UK, this colourful cultural melting pot has creative young minds from every corner of the globe. The result? A bunch of daft words you’ll need to be half way through any Sussex degree to understand.

Credit: Jordy91 at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)]

Whilst a fair amount of our distinctive vocab is suspiciously similar to London lingo, this spilled-over slang may just be an extension of Brighton’s notorious ‘London on Sea’ label, exposing us as the wannabe London we apparently are.

So, besides the berets on our heads and the IPA running through our veins, one thing that unites us Brighton-based students is the flowery vocabulary we’ve so lovingly curated together. Guaranteed to impress your peers, here's all the best Sussex slang!

1. Slope noun

An affectionate shortening for East Slope Bar, the late, beloved on-campus bar that served broke and thirsty Sussex students for 39 years before its tragic closure in 2018. Ex-home to the original ‘Skint’ Tuesdays club night as well as the widely-mourned, late-night food vender, The Hatch.

“Coming to Falmer for Skint tonight?”

“Nah, it’s just not the same now Slope’s gone.”

RIP

2. B-Town noun

Short for Brighton town itself.

Although used widely in association with many other UK towns, you can bet your overdraft that no one is referring to Bletchley or Basingstoke when this slang is uttered in conversation.

“I’m so excited to be back in the one true B-Town, Christmas in Berkhamsted gets more dull every year”

3. Big Sainsbury’s noun

Although few students paying Brighton rent can actually afford to shop here, this term is a foolproof geographical point of reference for anything situated on Lewes Road.

“Bus has stopped near the big Sainsbury’s ‘cause some wankered fresher just chundered and won’t get off. Hopefully be there in ten.”

4. Fucked adjective

Used to describe the state of being completely intoxicated.

As ambiguous as this term may be, when your course mate says that they want to get fucked this weekend, it’s almost certainly not your cue to start lighting scented candles.

“Of course I don’t remember where I lost my left Dr Marten, I was absolutely fucked.”

5. Casa’s noun

Short for Casablanca Jazz Club, this usually refers to the club’s cheap(er) Wednesday night live music night for students who aren’t in a uni sports team or those who think they’re just too good for Pryzm Wednesdays.

“Are you going Pryzm this week?”

“Actually, I’m more of a Casa’s kind of girl” *flicks hair*

Casa-wankers in their natural habitat

6. Calm adjective

Almost as confusing as “sick” once was, this gem describes when a situation is okay, fine etc.

Particularly relevant when the speaker intends to come across as particularly blasé, meaning they don't usually get the whole message across.

“Am I good to use your last bit of cheese?”

“Yeah, that’s calm” *dies inside*

7. PV noun

An abbreviation for Park Village, the most “budget-friendly” accommodation on Campus with the most anti-social layout possible and not a sofa, table or glimmer of natural light in sight.

Probably abbreviated by its residents to make it seem more interesting than it actually is.

"We haven't even braved the cold yet and my bum is already numb from sitting on the floor…I'm never going to PV pres again."

Classic PV dwellers perched on the carpet

8. Pav Tav noun

Enter the Pavillion Tavern. With stupidly cheap drinks and an awkwardly loud pop-up DJ, this old man’s pub becomes the student’s Pav Tav every monday and Thursday.

“Pav Tav then the Haunt this Thursday?”

9. Brewskie noun

An annoyingly middle-class word for an alcoholic beverage, usually specifically referencing some variety of beer.

“I went for a brewskie with Angus and he had the cheek to bring me over a Carling. Everyone knows I only drink IPA.”

10. The Laines noun

When most of us tragically uneducated students use this, we’re referring to the endless stream of vintage clothes shops and expensive cafés just south-east of Brighton station.

What we’re actually referring to is the North Laine (singular!) "The Lanes" is pretty much just a labyrinth of jewellery shops, just across North Street. Confusing or what??

“Meet me in the laines for lunch? I’ve been craving a buddha bowl.”

11. Northies noun

An emerging nickname for the glistening modern metropolis at the summit of campus that is the Northfield accommodation.

This definitely sounds like the brain child of students that can afford to live there and since East Slope's rebranding, bets are on regarding how long until 'Easties' becomes a thing.

"Who needs a gym membership when you have to walk from Northies everyday, right Spence?"

12. Chunder verb

Encapsulates the act of vomiting as a result of excessive substance consumption.

Becomes a “tactical chunder” when the speaker describes the act of making oneself purposefully vomit in the valiant pursuit of further wavey shenanigans.

"I wouldn't go in that one, Lucy chundered on the loo seat after necking that last VK."

13. Satan’s Minions noun

This one is our own personal contribution. We hereby propose that this become the official Brighton slang for the sinister creatures we like to call ‘seagulls’.

“Can I have a chip?”

“Nope, satan’s minions stole them all.”