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77 Square is the definitive arts, culture and entertainment guide for Madison, Wis., and the surrounding area.
Handy guide to Madison lingo
Tyme machine: Ask for a Tyme machine in other parts of the U.S., and you'll get smart remarks like, "Where do you want to go, the Renaissance Period?" But for Madisonians, the phrase makes perfect sense. It's what we call an ATM.
Mayor Dave: One look at that mouthful of a last name, and you can see why no one refers to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz (chess-LEV-itch) by his full name.
Bubbler: Those from out of state call it a drinking fountain.
The Rat: The Memorial Union's Der Rathskeller is a popular student hangout -- part lounge, bar, music venue and study spot.
The Terrace: The shorthand refers to the Memorial Union Terrace, not the Monona Terrace.
The Arb: The UW-Madison Arboretum, a popular place to hike and jog.
Camp Randall: "What's that? A kids' thing?" wondered a new staffer. It's the football stadium for the UW Badgers, on the grounds of a former Union Army training camp during the Civil War.
The Beltline: For those of us who grew up here, it was years before we realized the proper name of the Beltline is U.S. 12 (joined along the way by U.S. 14, 18 and 151).
East Wash, West Wash: East Washington and West Washington avenues, the main thoroughfares to the Capitol.
Willy Street: The near east side's Williamson Street, but nobody calls it Williamson Street.
Broom Street Theater: It's on Willy Street (see above), not Broom Street. Broom Street runs parallel to Henry and Bassett streets on the west side of the isthmus.
MMoCA: It's the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, not a specialty coffee shop.
Old Sauk Road: Don't make the same mistake as one of our editors and seek out Old Sock Road.
For more Madison terms, see: www.citydictionary.com/WI/Madison.
To hear how to pronounce the mayor's name and other important Wisconsin words, see www.misspronouncer.com.
--Katie Dean