Notre Dame Lingo
Domer Dictionary
Beware: Only Notre Dame students will understand this language.
ABP: Au Bon Pain, the restaurant located on the first floor of the library. If you happen to be in the area half an hour before closing time, the pastries are discounted!
AR: Assistant rectors; part of hall staff directly under the Rector who serve to keep the dorm residents safe and help in whatever may be needed regarding dorm life. Step up from an RA, but below the Rector.
Bond: the current architecture school located on (you guessed it) Bond Quad.
Bookstore: Hammes Bookstore, where you can buy (you guessed it) your textbooks among other things. Also has tons of ND apparel and fun things to waste money on. Has Einstein’s inside (BEST BAGELS EVER!) and if you’re too far, they deliver!
BP: Breen-Phillips Hall, a female dorm located on North Quad.
COMO: Short for the Coleman-Morse Center located on South Quad. The First Year of Studies offices, Campus Ministry, and tutoring is available here.
CSC: Center for Social Concerns located in Geddes Hall (near the Library). The CSC is the place to go if interested in service projects and volunteer opportunities.
D2: Student parking lot behind PE and Knott.
D6: Student parking lot behind the Rock.
DeBart: short for DeBartolo Hall, where man classes are held. From big lectures to small seminars, all different types of classes are held here.
DH: The dining hall; SDH = South Dining Hall, NDH = North Dining Hall. The rivalry between the two dining halls is real.
Dome: the administration building where lots of offices are located. This building can be seen from almost anywhere on campus. Students should not walk up the main stairs until after graduation.
Domer: Any Notre Dame student, past or present (and even future!)
Domer Dollars: Money that you add to your account to use on campus for things like laundry.
Domerfest: A freshmen-only celebration during Welcome Weekend which you will remember for your entire time at Notre Dame.
DPAC: DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.
du Lac: Student handbook outlining all the rules and regulations at Notre Dame.
Fall Break: It’s practically like Spring Break, except in October.
Feve: Club Fever, the nightclub located in downtown South Bend. Thursday night fun!
Flex Points: The dollars that accompany the Flex 14 meal plan that can be used to buy some tasty snacks and beverages at the Huddle, Smashburger, Reckers, and other campus food locations.
God Quad: Home to the Dome, the Basilica, Sorin College, Walsh hall and the statues of Jesus and Father Sorin. Be sure not to step on the grass!
Grab ’N Go: Convenient brown-bag breakfast, lunch, or dinner available in the Dining Halls. Many students stock up on snacks from grab-n-go when they find themselves with unused meals (just make sure to plan this out accordingly).
The Grotto: Replica of the Grotto of Lourdes in France where students can come to light a candle and spend some quiet time in reflection and prayer. This is an experience of it’s own.
Hesburgh: The 13 story Library with the mosaic of Touchdown Jesus on its side. Now open 24 hours from Monday – Thursday.
Huddle: Small convenience store in LaFortune where students can purchase food, drinks, toiletries, notebooks, and other bare essentials such as the infamous Quarter Dogs (literally hot dogs for a quarter).
JACC: Also known as the Jocye (or the Joyce Center). This venue houses numerous campus events such as basketball, volleyball, and pep rallies.
JPW: Junior Parents Weekend
LaFun: LaFortune Student Center. Lots of activities are held here as well as different restaurants.
Legends: The restaurant, pub and programming venue. Brings in live entertainment and has a nightclub open late nights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Leprechaun Legion: Student run group that organizes fan sections, giveaways, and pep rallies for sports at ND; dedicated to supporting all athletes on campus.
Library Circle: Pick up/drop off spot at the east end of the Hesburgh Library.
Main Circle: Pick up/drop off spot at the main campus entrance on Notre Dame Avenue, which has a great view of the Dome.
Mendoza: The business school.
Michiana: The area along the border of Michigan and Indiana, including South Bend and Mishawaka.
Mod Quad: Home to Dunne Hall, Flaherty Hall, Knott Hall, Siegfried Hall, Pasquerilla East, and Pasquerilla West Halls.
netID: A computer ID name that, along with your password, gives you access to the Notre Dame network from almost any computer on campus. Usually is the first letter of your first name along with part (or all) of your last name, and possibly a number at the end.
ndID: Don’t get this confused with your netID. This one has the nine numbers (901…)
North Quad: Home to BP, Cavanaugh, Farley, Lewis, St. Ed’s, Stanford, Keenan, and Zahm.
NOVO: allows access to change and register classes (used to be known as DART).
Observer: Campus newspaper you’ll grow to love. A new edition every day!
O’Shag: O’Shaughnessy Hall, location of many Arts and Letters classes, departmental offices, and Waddick’s Café.
Parietals: du Lac regulation noting visitation hours in dorms of the opposite geneder. Parietals are from 12 am to 9 am Sunday through Thursday and from 2 am to 9am on Friday and Saturday (excluding football weekends). Friends and visitors of the opposite sex are only allowed in 24 hour spaces during those hours.
Pasquerilla Center: ROTC center; NOT to be mistaken with the Pasquerilla dorms.
PE: Pasquerilla East, women’s dorm located on Mod Quad.
PW (or P-Dub): Pasquerilla West, women’s dorm located on Mod Quad as well (located in front of PE).
Pop: Midwestern term for Soda (if you’re not from the area).
Quarter Dogs: Infamous hot dogs available in LaFun for a quarter after 12am. (though they may only be a quarter, you don’t want to eat too many of them.)
RA: Resident Assistant, a senior in each section of the dorm who guides the dorm life of the students.
RecSports: Intramural sports program at Notre Dame.
Rector: Basically the person in charge of each dorm. You’ll also have a priest living in every dorm (yes, even the girls’ dorms).
The Rock: The Rockne Memorial Gymnasium located at the foot of the South Quad.
Rolfs: The other gym located behind Jordan.
The Shirt: Football shirt that all students wear to all the football games.
SMC (pronounced “Smick”): St. Mary’s College: an all women’s school located adjacent to Notre Dame.
Smick Chicks: Girls from St. Mary’s.
Soda: What normal people say when they are referring to soft drinks (if you’re from the area).
South Quad: Home to O’Shag and the Rock and everything in between.
STEDS: Abbreviation for St. Edward’s Hall; male dorm located next to the Main Building / Dome.
Stepan Center: The round, geodesic dome north of campus at East Gate. Home of 8 am exams. Don’t mix this up with Stepan Chemistry Hall.
Stonehenge: War Memorial Fountain located at the foot of North Quad.
SUB: Student Union Board that organizes activities for students.
SYR: Formerly known as “screw your roommate”, now changed to mean “set-up your roommate”, the SYR is a semi-formal dance held by the dorms.
TA: Teaching assistant; most large classes have TAs to assist the professor.
Tailgate: Pre-game festivities, usually occurring in the parking lot by the stadium, before all football games.
Touchdown Jesus: Nickname of the mosaic on the side of the library facing the stadium. You’ll see why it was so named when you arrive.
Tutorial: Discussion session for large classes to discuss topics in more detail and to get extra help.
Walsh (Walsh Hall): Women’s hall located on God Quad. DO NOT GET THIS CONFUSED WITH WELSH FAMILY HALL.
Welsh Fam (Welsh Family Hall): Women’s hall located on West Quad. Different than Walsh Hall. And also different from Walsh Family Hall (which will be the new architecture school).
West Quad: Home to McGlinn, Welsh Family, Keough, Ryan, Duncan, and O’Neill Halls as well as Reckers. #WestQuadBestQuad
