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This Is What A GDI Thinks Sorority Terms Mean

This Is What A GDI Thinks Sorority Terms Mean

If you’ve taken a little gander at my bio, you’ll know I didn’t go Greek in college. Between both of my majors, my full-time job, and the fact that I just never really had the desire to be in a sorority (or the one fra-rority at my college. Yeah…it was weird) being a sister ended up not being in the cards during the five years I was in school. I did have some friends who were in various houses and they always let me come over for the delicious meals their house cooks whipped up, and let me crash on a bunkbed after one-too-many keg stands during football season.

But since dipping a toe in the Greek world here at TSM and TFM, I keep coming across terms that are completely unfamiliar to me. I feel like a fish out of water, or a sorority girl in a recruitment video with no glitter. (Did I use that right?) I’m going to give defining these words my best shot. We’ll see how close I get.

Bid: The day that they line all of the freshman up and compete for the girls or guys they want, auction style.
“This short but adorable blonde from Kansas has only drunk a sip of champagne ONCE at her sister’s wedding, so she’s guaranteed to throw up in the communal bathroom sink at least three times this year! Do I hear $250?”

Chapter: Super secret sorority witchcraft that they read out loud to each other at the meetings I was never allowed to attend.

Letters: Something Sigma Nu got in big trouble for messing with on DG’s lawn. (They added an O and an S. It was a big deal.)

Panhellenic: A word I had to look up to figure out how to spell.

Executive Board: The people who determine whether or not that little blonde from Kanas actually gets to stay after she pukes in the sink.

Recruitment: A week during college when all of my friends would whine about not being able to wear their anchor hoodies or their fleur-de-lis short-shorts. Inevitably there would always be a Rachel in there somewhere telling me, “It’s never too late to join a sorority!”

Lavaliere: Something that Roxy Hart wore that went all the way down to her waist. I assume it has to do with theme parties in that case.

Pledge: A promise the members make to each other not to sleep with members of certain frats or sororities. Punishable by death, obvi. TURN IN YOUR SCARF AND GO.

Dues: What that blonde is going to owe if/when she pukes in the sink.

Big: HBIC to another girl. Whatever she says goes.

Little: The girl who will be fetching the coffee. *snap snap* Quick like a bunny!

PNM: The abbreviation next to my TSM name that I don’t understand.

Rush: The week during college when all of my friends would wear nothing BUT their “colors” and blow up Instagram with their fingers doing weird signs I didn’t understand over a sunset. Rachel would be there in my ear telling me, “Still not too late!”

Legacy: What that little blonde will be the first night she gets black out drunk and doesn’t throw up anywhere. You go girl.

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Kendra Syrdal

The closest Kendra ever went to going Greek was always hitting up Pita Pit on her way home from the bars. But she thanks the sisterhood of DG for always letting her crash taco night and helping her find her way out of that frat party where a guy got stabbed with a samurai sword. Contact her at kendrasyrdal.com for sex toy suggestions and general sass.

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