faq

A few pointers

• Please take all facts and calculations in account before starting your new adventure here. The rules and regulations here concerning all aspects viz. academics, policies, university/government rules are very strict with no exceptions or waivers.
• Please do not direct your queries to many people at a time. Kindly understand, we are ordinary students like you guys, we ourselves are busy here, kindly give us time for your reply. Each one of us gets an average of 10-15 emails per day!
• This is a bad phase in this nation's economy take that into account. The economic slowdown has affected both jobs and funding at schools. Plan for long term goals, its an important phase/transition in your lives.
• Finally, please don’t ask us about other universities, we don’t have any info about them. We'll end up giving you wrong info most of the times. And, kindly be specific in your questions.

A Guide To American Conversation:

• The telephone is never engaged, it is always busy
• You don't disconnect a phone, you simply hang up
• You don't stop at signals, you halt at the lights
• You don’t pass out from a university, you graduate
• You don't accelerate, you step on the gas
• If your tire is punctured, it means you have a flat.
• There are no petrol bunks or petrol pumps, there are gas stations
• You never post a letter, you always mail it
• You don't stand in a queue, you are in a line
• You no longer like something, you appreciate it.
• # is not a hash, it is a pound sign.
• There is no full stop at the end of a statement, instead you find a period

Currency:

• Penny = 1 cent
• Nickel = 5 cents
• Dime = 10 cents
• Quarter = 25 cents
• Half Dollar = 50 cents
• Silver Dollar = 100 cents

American jargon

Apartment = flat
Bachelor degree = Undergraduation
Battery = cell
Beat up = worn out, shabby (said of a thing)
Beat around the bush = avoid an issue
Been had = to have been taken advantage of
Big shot = a supposedly important person or someone who thinks he/she is
Big deal = anything important, exciting
Bike = cycle
Break the ice = make a beginning
Buck = dollar bill
Bombed = see "high"
Boot = trunk
Booze = alcoholic beverage
Bummer = a term to designate that something undesirable has happened
Cab = taxi
Cash = paying someone with currency rather than a check
Check = cheque
Check out = look over a situation
Cilantro = coriander
Collect Call = a telephone call where the recipient of the call pays
Cookie = biscuit
Cool or neat = slang term denoting approval for something or someone
Cool it = calm down
Cop = slang for policeman
Cut it out = stop it
Crack up = to lose emotional control in laughter
Date = to go out with someone; also the person with whom you go
Down = to feel depressed, sad
Downtown = Central Business District of any American city
Down to earth = practical, straightforward, (person)
Drive one up the wall = drive one nuts; to make one very nervous, or upset
Drop = to withdraw from a course on or before the set date
Drugstore = Pharmacy/Chemist
Eggplant = Brinjal
Electricity = current
Elevator = lift
Eraser = rubber
Fall for = take a strong liking for
Fed up = disgusted with, or tired of
Fender = bumper
Flammable = inflammable
Flashlight = torch
Freak out = to lose control of oneself, go crazy
Gas = petrol
Give a ring = to call on the telephone
Go to pot = to deteriorate
Grass = slang term for marijuana
Gripe = to complain
Hang up = in reference to the telephone it means do not hang up the receiver
Hang in there = keep trying; do not be discouraged
Hassled = troubled by
Have a lot on the ball = to be capable, talented, or efficient
High = intoxicated ("loaded") from liquor or drugs
Hit the sack = go to bed
Hood = bonnet
Hung up = to be in conflict over a problem
I.D. = identification
In a nutshell = very briefly and concisely
Jock = an athlete
Keep your shirt on = be clam, be patient
Know the ropes = be familiar with the details of an undertaking
Lemon = bad buy or purchase
Loaded = to get intoxicated
Long Distance Call = STD/Trunk call
Make ends meet = budget within one's income
Make up = (1) to apologize after a fight or disagreement
(2) To do an assignment after it was due
(3) Cosmetics a woman uses
Masters = Graduate
Mailbox = post box Mid term = test given during the middle of the quarter
Motel = inexpensive hotel
Motorbike = motorcycle
Muffler = silencer of a car
Okra = ladyfinger
On the house = free, no cost
Old man = slang term for father
Once in a blue moon = seldom, infrequently
Out of it = (1) somebody whose mind is far away or preoccupied
(2) Somebody not fitting into a certain group
Out of the question = unthinkable, impossible
Over my dead body = not if I can stop it!
Out of sight = term of approval denoting something exciting or very good
Panhandler = beggar
Payphone = public telephone
Pedestrian Crossing = zebra crossing
Peanuts = groundnuts
Phony = someone who is insincere, also fake
Play it by ear = to respond to circumstances as they arise
Play second fiddle = be second in importance
Pop-Quiz = a test given with no prior warning
Pop/Soda = aerated drink/soft drink
Pot = a term used for marijuana
Psyched up = to mentally prepare yourself for something; excited about something
Pull one's leg = to tease someone
Pull strings = use influence
Pull the wool over someone's eyes = deceive or mislead someone
Put someone on = to tease or try to fool. "Are you putting me on?"
Put your foot in your mouth = say something you regret having said
Rip off = to steal; charge an exorbitant price for some item
Redneck = hillbilly
Restroom = toilet
Returned Check = bounced cheque
Run around with = be friends with
Screwed up = confused
Shook up = upset
Show = movie or film, cinema
Sidewalk = footpath/pavement
Skip or cut = not go to class
Stoned = to get high on grass
Straight = one who goes along with the norms of society, conservative
Subway = underground railway system
Take a rain check = to postpone an invitation, accepting it for a later date
Take for granted = to assume
Through the grapevine = through gossip
To Go = carry out (especially referring to food)
To the max = to the maximum or greatest degree
Traffic Light = traffic signal
Trash Can = dustbin
Uptight = worried, tense Under the weather = sick, not feeling well
Windbreaker = windcheater
With flying colors = with victory or success
Wasted = an extreme lack of energy. Also can mean "high"
Ya'll = you all
Zee = the letter "Z"
ZIP Code = postal code
Zero in on = focus or concentrate on

Source: ISA at Illinois Institute of technology.