UCLA Trivia

Open Air Theater, aka Greek Theater, now the site of Center for Health Sciences.
Read More »

He needed a quiet place to write because his house was noisy with his newborn child.
Read More »

Buck Fiddy
Read More »

Kentucky Wildcats
Read More »

Both his parents worked at UCLA – Doris Jackson as a hospital clerk and Hosea Jackson as a groundskeeper.

Eric Ball, 1986
Read More »

Selling war bonds. Together, they raised more than $2 million.
Read More »

$2,000,000 or 40 percent
Read More »

1930
Read More »

“May La Force Be With You” / UCLA Anderson
Read More »

UniCamp
Read More »

Student opposition due to the Vietnam War.
Read More »

The Great American Historical Documents, Manuscripts and Books exhibition
Read More »

Burbank, Fullerton and Palos Verdes
Read More »

170. The most among all U.S. medical centers.
Read More »

March 26, 1939
Source: “UCLA On the Move: During Fifty Golden Years 1919-1969” By Andrew Hamilton, John B. Jackson

Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos
Read More »

47
Read More »

Hyde Park Read More »

Willard F. Libby Read More »

The parapsychology lab at UCLA, located on what is now the fifth floor of the Semel Institute. Read More »

Chuan-Kwang Yang Read More »

Gold Shield Read More »

UCLA Law School Read More »

César E. Chávez Center for Interdisciplinary Instruction in Chicana and Chicano Studies Read More »

Grizzly Read More »

Clarence Dykstra Read More »

Helen Matthewson Laughlin Read More »

Kenny Washington and Woody Strode. Read More »

1966. Read More »

1954. Read More »

1927. Read More »

Under a government contract, UCLA’s task was to purchase and deliver equipment and materials necessary for the Manhattan Project. Read More »

Towell, shortened from Temporary Powell Staging Facility

Read More »

V-J Day – Emperor Hirohito had announced Japan’s surrender, officially ending World War II.

Read More »

Mary Lou Retton

Learn More »

Mardi Gras

Learn More »

“By the Old Pacific’s Rolling Waters,” also known as “By”

Learn More »

UCLA’s new student union, renamed Ackerman Union upon “Mr. A’s” retirement in 1967.

Learn More »

Tyus Edney ’97

Learn More »

Dance Marathon held by the Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA

Learn More »

To join the summer program that would work to double the number of blacks registered to vote in the South.

Learn More »

The Rose Bowl, 1923

Read More »

It is covered by a wooden box with the sign “The Bruin Bear is Hibernating” as students stand guard to protect it from vandalism.

Read More »

More than 105,800

Read More »

Bruintized

Read More »

All UC colors represent the state’s attributes. Blue for the ocean and local wildflowers. Gold for the Golden State, California poppy and sunsets. Learn more.

Read More »

1923, 28 students

Read More »

If I’m in a jam, I’ll call my homie who’s

straight money
.

$3.053 billion

Read More »

Women’s Water Polo.

Read More »

Notre Dame.

A fire in the Vermont campus chemical lab. Read More »

Kerckhoff Hall, Royce Hall, Powell Library, Dykstra and UCLA Medical Center. Read More »

Lumber and hydroelectric power. Read More »

Chemistry, economics, English, French, history, Latin, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, Spanish and zoology

Lloyd S. Shapley won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

“You need to

slow your roll
. She’s clearly not interested.”

Jonathan Ogden. He was inducted on Aug. 03, 2013. Ogden was a four-year starter at offensive tackle for UCLA in the 1992-95 seasons.

“Now that the election is over, I hope people quit

throwing shade
on facebook.”

The Rose Bowl game, winning 24-14 over Michigan. Read More »

“Your picture looks so much better when you

smize
.”

UCLA Medical Center.
(UCLA: The First Century, page 203)To find out more about UCLA history, get your copy of

UCLA: The First Century
.

Crutch phrase – Relying on overworked clichés because of a speaker’s difficulty to articulate ideas.

Elizabeth Taylor.
(UCLA: The First Century, page 330)To find out more about UCLA history, get your copy of

UCLA: The First Century
.

Talmbout – A contraction of the words talking and about.

Spring Sing. (
UCLA: The First Century, page 339)To find out more about UCLA history, get your copy of

UCLA: The First Century
.

Office vernacular for “What the heck?”

Lisa Fernandez ’95.
(UCLA: The First Century, page 312)To find out more about UCLA history, get your copy of

UCLA: The First Century
.

When you say something rude, mean or insulting but try to cover it up by coughing loudly.

Dot Richardson ’84.
(UCLA: The First Century, page 312)To find out more about UCLA history, get your copy of

UCLA: The First Century
.

Hey you – Greeting used when you forget the person’s name

Albert Einstein discussed his latest thinking on the theory of relativity. (
UCLA: The First Century, page 50)To find out more about UCLA history, get your copy of

UCLA: The First Century
.

Selfie – A photo of oneself, often looking away from the camera or making a kissy face, taken at arm’s length and uploaded onto a social networking website.

The Big Snow; two inches of snow in Royce Quad

Gangnam – Korean pop song by rapper Psy, critiquing the reputed trendy and lavish lifestyle of the Gangnam district residents in Seoul.

Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. (
UCLA: The First Century, page 154)

Besties – Short for best friends.

The “chamfer cylinder design surface” is more commonly known as a durable artificial hip.

Going screensaver – When you notice a coworker spacing out or dozing off in a meeting.

Dean of Women Helen Laughlin felt that the fraternity and sorority houses should be separated to discourage unseemly hanky-panky.

Food baby – When you eat so much that your stomach looks pregnant.

The three were professors at UC Berkeley – professors of Herbert Foster, the engineer who later helped lay out the Westwood streets.

Posterize – to dunk emphatically over a defender in basketball.

Alexander Payne, M.F.A. ’90.

Drop the Pin – Term that means letting people know where you are through Google maps or any app that shows your location on a map.

William C. “Bill” Ackerman (Men’s Tennis, 1950).

Crackberry – term used for Blackberry devices constantly being checked by their users

Dykstra Hall – UCLA’s first dormitory. Thanks to the new on-campus housing, UCLA was no longer a commuter school.

Sleeves – tattoos covering the whole arm, from the shoulder to the wrist

1974. UCLA’s election to this nonprofit association of preeminent public and private research institutions marked the first time that a university system had more than one campus as a member.

Boss – very good, cool, awesome

75 tons.

Dimepiece – a good looking person; a perfect 10

UCLA, of course.

Victory Lap – each additional year a college senior takes to obtain a degree

Rick Neuheisel.

PAM – Asian male who is unable to approach the opposite sex. (Passive Asian Male)

In 1929 construction began on the gyms as two of the first eight buildings on campus, under the design concept that the top of the hill was for the mind and the bottom of the hill was for the body.

1337 (leet) – superior, better than anyone else especially in computers; derived from elite

Ackerman featured a 10-lane bowling alley, rooms for billiards and table tennis, indoor and outdoor dining areas and space for other leisure activities.

Awkward Turtle – comment made in an awkward situation (usually accompanied by hand gesture where one hand is placed on the back of the other hand and both outstretched thumbs are wiggled)

Pauley Pavilion was introduced to the university at the June 1965 Commencement exercises, dedicated and named for Regent Edwin W. Pauley, the principal donor to the building fund.

Swoll – very large and muscular; buff

On Feb. 22, 2009, Dustin Lance Black ’96 won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Milk, a biographical drama about martyred gay activist politician Harvey Milk.

Hipster: Elitist, pseudo-intellectual person who is involved in the indie culture (including fashion, music, art and film), wears tight pants, often plaid, owns many cloth scarves and may own a fixie.

Robinson earned letters in baseball, football, basketball and track.

Put on Blast – to embarrass (someone) in front of a group.

John Wooden was named Alumnus of the Year in 1973. In 1969, the Alumni Association had designated him an honorary alumnus.

Powell Ranger – A person who spends an excessive amount of time at Powell Library

Vinton Cerf M.A. ’70, Ph.D. ’72, an American computer scientist, is the person most often called “Father of the Internet.”

FOMO – Fear of missing out on something

The bubbling mud pots and hot springs of Yellowstone National Park inspired the design of UCLA’s Inverted Fountain.

Ridonkulous – ridiculous, crazy, unexpected

Southern Campus. The title alluded to the campus’s original name: Southern Branch of the University of California. In 1983, the book came to be called Bruin Life, the name it currently holds.

Helly Jelly – to be extremely envious of something/someone. Short for “hella jealous.”

Originated in 1935, light stunts were the trademark of the UCLA cheering section in 1930s. The cheering section was wired and each student given four light bulbs, each of a different color.

Next »

In 1953, because the light bulbs and wiring were not only difficult to handle but expensive to maintain, the students developed a card similar to the type used in ordinary card stunts.

Next »

It has eight different light filters placed in a circular pattern. Each student was given a flashlight to shine through the filters.

YOLO – You Only Live Once. Recently made popular by the song “The Motto” by Drake, featuring Lil’ Wayne.

The Arroyo Bridge (buried in Dickson Plaza) was the first structure erected at UCLA. The top of the bridge, still in use today, is the road that connects Royce, Powell, Haines and Kinsey halls with Murphy Hall.

Finna- to be going to, to be about to

UCLA sent a total of 36 Bruins to the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. 31 were athletes – 27 alumni, 3 current students, 1 incoming student – and 5 were coaches.

Los Angeles City College currently sits on the site of the former UCLA campus.

Jayne Mansfield crowned the Mardi Gras King in 1962. The king was typically a favorite professor or University employee. The winner was voted on and announced the night of the carnival.

Next »

Mansfield’s connection to campus didn’t end there, however. Two decades later, Mansfield’s daughter, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Mariska Hargitay, enrolled at UCLA.

Steaze – style (style + ease)

Greg Graffin first found fame as lead singer of the groundbreaking band Bad Religion. In addition to his UCLA degrees, he holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

In 1988, Pauley Pavilion was the location of the Bush-Dukakis debate.

The C represents the Roman numeral for 100, commemorating UCLA as the first to win 100 NCAA Championships.

In 1884, John Wolfskill paid $10 an acre to buy the land on which the UCLA campus now stands. The land became an avocado grove.

Cub Californian (1919-24), California Grizzly (1924-26), California Daily Bruin (1926-43 & 1944-48), California Bruin (1943-44) and UCLA Daily Bruin (1948-present)

On Feb. 21, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos met at UCLA on Charter Day.

Neard – hair on the neck (neck + beard)

Architect Daniel Allison used the Basilica di San Ambrogio, a 12th-century Romanesque church in Milan, Italy, as the model for UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Winter formals have long since gone out of fashion at UCLA, but school dances are still alive. Dance Marathon at UCLA raises awareness and money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Next »

Each year, UCLA students organize a 26-hour dance-athon to support the battle of children suffering from AIDS. Dancers stay on their feet for the duration of the event and raise funds through sponsorships.

Former supreme allied commander of NATO and Democratic presidential hopeful Gen. Wesley Clark joined the Burkle Center for International Relations as a senior fellow in fall of 2006.

Young served as UCLA chancellor for 29 years, 1968-97. He is the only UCLA alumnus to serve as the university’s chief executive.

Los Angeles Junior College was established on Sept. 9, 1929 by the Los Angeles Board of Education. In 1938, the Board of Education changed the institution’s name to Los Angeles City College.

D.T.R. – conversation between a couple concerning the status of their relationship (Defining The Relationship)

Ralph Bunche ’27, who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize, spoke a month before King. The scheduling was a response by program organizers to the civil rights marches in Selma, Ala.

Next »

Bunche was the first African-American to receive the prize and, at age 34, King was the youngest.

Wooden was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961as a player for Purdue University, 1928-32. He was inducted as a coach in 1973.

Originally a gift from Jake Gimbel, the flagpole’s brass plaque bears a bas relief replica of a South American fish, the
porotergus gimbeli.

Next »

In 1910, Gimbel had sponsored an expedition to explore the rivers of Brazil. Native legend told of an “electric” fish that would shock larger fish before attacking them. The mythical fish was found.

Next »

It was brought back to the U.S, scientifically catalogued and named in honor of the expedition’s benefactor. Gimbel had the fish added to the plaque on a whim when he presented his gift in 1937.

On April 4, 1998, UCLA hosted the Royce Hall Gala Reopening, giving the public its first official look at the transformed campus icon.

Next »

Proceeds from the gala benefited UCLA students and programs and the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts so that it could continue to bring to Royce Hall the finest performing artists in the world.

The UCLA Victory Bell. A gift of the UCLA Alumni Association to campus, it was kidnapped by Trojans in 1941. After negotiations, the Trojans agreed to return the bell on one condition.

Next »

The condition was that the Victory Bell will become a trophy of the annual cross-town rivalry. On Dec. 12, 1942, the Bruins beat the Trojans for the first time and took the Victory Bell home.

Swen Nater, a community college All-American in 1970 before playing behind NCAA Player of the Year Bill Walton under Coach John Wooden, and a member of two UCLA national championship squads.

Next »

He went on to become an NBA first-round draft pick in 1973 and the ABA Rookie of the Year in 1974.

Rolfed

1. To laugh a lot

2. That’s really funny (interjection.) (Rolling On the Floor Laughing).

In 1961, alumni presented UCLA with the first Josephine Bruin, a little Himalayan bear. Josephine lived in the Rally Committee chair’s backyard. But as she grew, Josephine was moved to the San Diego Zoo.

“Hail Blue and Gold,” written by a UCLA student in 1925, preceded “Hail to the Hills of Westwood.” The current alma mater was adopted in 1960. Until 1925, UCLA shared UC Berkely’s alma mater.

Women’s Water Polo.

Chancellor Charles Young M.A. ’57, Ph.D. ’60 remains the only Bruin also to have led UCLA.

1. To program a webpage to take users to Rick Astley’s video “Never Gonna Give You Up” rather than whatever they clicked on.

2. To play “Never Gonna Give You Up” for (someone).

Presidential nominees Michael Dukakis and George Bush debated at UCLA. Dukakis would later return to campus as a visiting professor.

A campus landmark since 1968, the Inverted Fountain recirculates 10,000 gallons of water per minute.

Henry VII’s chapel at Westminster. Kerckhoff Hall is the only Tudor Gothic building on campus.

Six UCLA alumni and five UCLA faculty members are Nobel Laureates.

Next »

Faculty: Louis J. Ignarro, Physiology or Medicine, 1998; Paul Boyer, Chemistry, 1997; Donald Cram, Chemistry, 1987; Julian S. Schwinger, Physics, 1965; Willard F. Libby, Chemistry, 1960.

Next »

Alumni: Richard F. Heck, Chemistry, 2010; Elinor Ostrom, Economics, 2009; William Sharpe, Economics, 1990; Bruce Merrifield, Chemistry, 1984; Glenn Seaborg, Chemistry, 1951; Ralph Bunche, Peace Prize, 1950.

The School of Public Affairs was established in 1994 to set a new direction for policy education, research and action.

Q.Q. – to cry, complain (originally an emoticon)

The UCLA Library reported housing nearly 8.4 million volumes, more than 50,000 serial titles and some 230,000 electronic resources in 2007-08, the last year for which statistics are available.

The Bruins have played 12 New Year’s Day games at the Rose Bowl, assembling a 5-7 record. The first appearance was in 1943, and the most recent in 1999.

The first assembly on the Westwood campus was held in Royce Hall on September 23, 1929.

In 1941, Commencement was held in the Open Air Theater, now the site of the Center for the Health Sciences.

Organized into 5 divisions – humanities, physical sciences, social sciences, life sciences, honors and undergraduate programs – it offers 106 majors and 69 minors as of 2010.

$9.3 billion in 2010.

Money.

The collections include more than 150,000 art and ethnographic and 600,000 archaeological objects.

1925.

Approximaters 64% in 2010. Among the nation’s 50 top universities, UCLA continues to have the largest proportion of undergraduates receiving federal Pell Grants for students from low-income families.

Totes – totally (abbreviation)

Fifty years ago, Head Coach Henry “Red” Sanders led the team to a perfect 9-0 season record. Tommy Prothro, who would later become head coach himself, was a key assistant coach in that season.

“Gayleyville,” located along Gayley Avenue and Strathmore Drive, was set up during the post-World War II years to provide housing for married students.

Next »

Gayleyville was made up of 20 units with 14 apartments, which offered proximity to UCLA, low rent and scenic views of green grass and hills. Gayleyville was torn down in the 1960s.

Robinson was named Alumnus of the Year in 1962 – the same year he became the first black American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Whole paycheck – Whole Foods

Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan emceed Spring Sing in 1952. Later, of course, he was elected president of the United States.

Albert Einstein addressed an overflowing crowd in Royce Hall on February 15, 1932, elucidating his latest thinking on his theory of relativity.

Pauley’s opening game saw UCLA’s NCAA championship team lose to its own freshman squad, 75-60.

Next »

In defense of the champions, though, the winning freshman squad included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ’69, Lucius Allen and Lynn Shackelford ’69. Pauley officially opened with a UCLA victory over Ohio State, 92-66.

On Jan. 1, 1966, Coach Tommy Prothro and the Bruins defeated Michigan State 14-12 in UCLA’s first Rose Bowl victory.

Pwned – I got you (interjection).

Josiah Royce, a California-born philosopher, received his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley in 1875 and earned his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University.

Next »

A professor at UC Berkeley and Harvard, Royce published 13 books and some 200 articles and reviews. At Harvard, his colleagues included Ernest Carroll Moore, UCLA’s first provost.

Next »

UCLA’s first dean of the College of Letters and Science, Charles Rieber, was a graduate student under Royce.

1925.

Hail to the hills of Westwood,

To the mighty sea below;

Hail to our Alma Mater,

She will conquer every foe.

Next »

For we’re loyal to the Southland,

Her honor we’ll uphold;

We’ll gladly give our hearts to thee,

To the Blue and to the Gold.

“Let There Be Light,” from the Latin motto
Fiat lux.

Ghost Ride the Whip – To slow down a car and have all the passengers exit and dance alongside as it moves down the street

A fourragère is a loop of braided cord worn at the shoulder. Used by the military and many universities, it signifies that the wearer has been singled out for special distinction.

Next »

At UCLA, the gold fourragère, recognizing academic achievement, is awarded to the top 15 percent of bachelor’s degree candidates each quarter. It is worn on the left shoulder at Commencement.

Next »

The blue-and-gold fourragère designates the Chancellor’s Service Award given in recognition of community service. It is worn on the right shoulder at Commencement.

1933.

smh – Shaking my head.