Leeds Lingo: Ten Must-know Terms for Leeds Students

Heidi Tam, final-year Journalism student, shares the quintessential parts of student culture here in Leeds.

With over 60,000 students enrolled in our local universities, students form a major part of the culture in Leeds. Here is a list of places and phrases you should know before arriving, to make the most of your university experience!

1. Wavy Bacon

Officially called A Sign for Art, the Wavy Bacon is how most people refer to Keith Wilson’s sculpture found in Beech Grove Plaza. This piece of artwork was inspired by the motion of signing ‘art’ in British Sign Language, yet it also looks like a strip of bacon — hence its nickname! A landmark in the heart of campus, this is a classic meeting point, so now you’ll know if someone asks you to meet up at the Bacon statue!

Example: Where are you? Let’s just meet at the Wavy Bacon.

2. Bakery 164

Opposite Parkinson Steps is the greatest sandwich shop of all time, or at least students in Leeds think so. Bakery 164 specialises in handcrafted focaccia and ciabatta sandwiches, and offers coffee, drinks and baked goods.

During lunch hours, you’ll see lots of people waiting outside for their sandwiches to be toasted. And you better get in that queue, because eating your Bakery 164 cold is a huge red flag.

I wanted Bakery 164 for lunch, but the queue was ridiculous.

3. Hyde Park

Not to be confused with the Hyde Park in London. Hyde Park in Leeds is a residential area, popular among students as it is close to the universities. People also refer to Woodhouse Moor, the park near the Maurice Keyworth building and Henry Price Residences, as Hyde Park.

The classic response when you ask someone where they live:

I live in Hyde Park, by the 24-hour Sainsbury’s.

4. Otley Run

If someone asks you:

I’m going on an Otley Run this weekend and the theme is Disney characters, wanna join?

Don’t put on your running shoes, because it isn’t actually a run. It’s a pub crawl along Otley Road, and groups usually show up in fancy dress under the same theme. It generally starts at Woodies Craft Ale House and ends at Dry Dock, with more than 10 pubs in between, such as the Original Oak and Hyde Park Pub. If drinking isn’t your thing, then don’t worry- dressing up in fancy dress and having fun with friends can be enjoyed sober too.

5. Fruity

Fruity, Leeds’ longest running student club night, is organised by Leeds University Union every Friday. This is particularly popular among freshers, so something you might hear a first-year say is:

Come on, it’s a Friday — go to Fruity with us!

6. Eddy B

Simply an abbreviation of Edward Boyle Library, as in:

I’m on Level 11 in Eddy B, what time will you get here?

7. Roger Stevens

It’s essentially a huge maze with 25 lecture theatres and a controversial architectural style. If you have a class in Roger Stevens, make sure to get there 10 minutes early to allow yourself to run around in circles trying to find your lecture theatre. H While Roger Stevens might not be the most beautiful building on campus, it’s a Grade II listed Brutalist building which means it has an important place in history and is considered nationally significant.

It is also connected to the Red Route, a long indoor corridor (over a fifth of a mile!) that joins Roger Stevens with EC Stoner and Eddy B. In fact, it is the second biggest corridor in Europe, and once you figure it out, it is an absolute lifesaver on rainy days (so on most days)!

Something you’d probably say during your time at Leeds:

I got lost in Roger Stevens and I was 10 minutes late for my lecture!

8. Pres

Pres (pronounced “prees”) is where you gather with a group of friends before going for a night out or event, such as a concert. This usually happens at someone’s home or a cheap pub, as it saves money from getting expensive drinks at venues.

Example: Ashley is hosting pres tonight, see you at 10.

All I can say is good luck to Ashley.

9. RPP Tuesdays

RPP stands for Royal Park Pub, and on Tuesdays, they serve discounted drinks, loud music, and just generally a good vibe. You know when I said Bakery 164 queues are long? Well, get ready to line up along Royal Park Road for even longer.

Example: Okay, I’ll go to RPP Tuesday with you, but I’m not going out after.

Said everyone who went to HiFi afterwards.

10. Diss

You guessed it — it’s another abbreviation, short for dissertation. It’s a long piece of academic writing backed by independent research on a topic you choose, usually finished in the last year of your degree.

Example: I can’t join tonight, still got 2000 words left on my diss.