freshman stripe
n.— «Also at UCD: the infamous Freshman Stripe…Since the inner campus is closed to automotive traffic, many, many people ride bikes to class. When the rains come in late Fall, the freshman can always be spotted because they have a vertical stripe running up their backs, caused by the spray from their tires. Eventually they wise up and buy fenders.» —“Re: Spotting Freshmen?” by Scott Fischbein Usenet: alt.folklore.college Sept. 27, 1993. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Alan Connor serves as crossword puzzle editor for The Guardian, and his new book is a word lover’s delight. It’s called 188 Words for Rain: A Delightfully Damp Tour of the British Isles Led by Natural Forces (Amazon). The book opens 7,000 feet above...
If someone tells you it’s flisky or flobby outside, do you need to take an umbrella? A new book about England’s soggy climate includes 188 terms for rainy weather. Americans have their own joking names for local weather, from June Gloom in Southern...