While most people strive for acceptance from society by acting and speaking normally, we, the students of Cornell University prefer to do otherwise. We abhor the idea of being like everybody else so we aim to be the light of the world - to declare to everyone that indeed we are unique! For this very reason, we have compiled a local dictionary that is unlike any other; one that features not common words but only those that a true Cornellian can comprehend.

To further digress from the norm, the Dictionary of local usage is not compiled by learned and experienced linguists but by a small group of freshmen. Each of us searched far and wide in our spare time for aspects of our dialect that sets us apart from the world. We knowingly ignored all words that might have the slightest chance of being used elsewhere, and focused only on the weirdest and wackiest words the great minds of Cornell can reproduce.

This dictionary will indubitably excite and dazzle even the most callous of humans. With the turn of each page, the reader will experience how it really feels to be on the Cornell campus, to dwell among and to speak like the students. Since the sole purpose of this dictionary is to help others acquaint themselves with the Cornell student body socially, we did not concentrate on how the words appear structurally. One can say that we blatantly neglected to consider the "proper" way to spell the words, but that is not an area of concern to us. We labored ourselves to provide to the readers the best and hippest pronunciation of our vocabulary since a large majority of these words would only be encountered in human interactions. We reasoned that it would be silly to stress on the trivial; hence you will find a vast variety of pronunciation keys in our work instead of standard spellings. From simple rhyming schemes to the International Phonetic Alphabet, we utilized everyway possible to capture the most realistic sounds of the words.

Other than providing the standard definition of each term, we also ventured to be user friendly and included a few examples of usage for each. This way the readers will not mishandle a Cornell term and sound ridiculous in front of their peers. From the short time of our linguistic research, we have learned that the history of words is just as important as the semantics. Therefore, an etymology of each word is inserted near to end of each entry to provide important background information to each person. In them are the most interesting stories and side comments that give extra flavor to each term. Thorough explanation how of the word was first coined, why the word came to be what it is today, ways it is frequently used, and other hidden connotation are listed for the user’s good.

The content of the dictionary cannot be mistaken for any other. It is full of lingo and slang from all the smaller social circles on campus. It is for sure that Cornell is the only place where the word "Hotellie" has such a large range of connotations. If not for the dictionary of local usage, one outside of this university would have a tough time realizing that "Hotellie" is not only a nickname for students of the hotel school but also carries negative connotations because the "Hotellies" are generally known to have the easiest courses on earth. Other than the collection of lingo and slang, the dictionary also encompasses a large selection of nicknames of people and buildings. No one can question buildings play a large part of our daily lives; They are the places where we dread and cheer, laugh and cry. Each unique place is named for its known function and appearance; The study area on the first floor of Mary Donlon Hall is appropriately named "The Morgue" for its usual silence and for the many downcast zombie-like students trying to get some studying done, and Uris Hall is given the nickname "Penis Hall" for its similarity to the word urine and its ugly brown outer coating.

All in all, the Cornell dictionary of local usage is our way to declare to the world that we are unique. The words on those pages will bring the student body together and foster unity among it, thus creating a better atmosphere and environment for each and every student. With these words we will be able to identify the true Cornellian amidst a group of wannabes. However, it must be understood that these words are not just a mere regional dialect but it holds the life and spirit of all Cornell students! Without them we would be nothing but a boring Ivy League school. As authors of this dictionary, we have collectively agreed that it is best to share a bit of the essence of Cornell with all those who are interested. So we can all experience how it really feels to be a part of the fascinating, captivating, and intriguing Cornell community.