Quick links
bzzr
DCHP-3 (Sep 2024)
While the term bzzr is also used in other places today, e.g. by a US small beer brewery as a brand name, the term is of particular relevance in the BC context.
n. — Student slang (University of British Columbia), often in compound nouns, e.g. Bzzr Garden
beer.
Type: 4. Culturally Significant — In the context of UBC student culture, the term bzzr to replace beer acquired a special significance by the 1980s (see the 1988 and 2009 quotations). The use of bzzr is not connected with the Canadian period of prohibition 1918-20. The term is used in various contexts all across the UBC Campus at Point Grey, Vancouver (see, for instance, Image 1).
The UBC student newspaper, The Ubysssey, includes from 1919 to 2023 a total 2614 tokens of beer and 498 of bzzr. Bzzr first occurs there in 1977 (see the related quotation). From 1977 to 2023, bzzr accounts for 25.6% of all mentions of beer, a sizeable minority that demonstrates the enregisterment of bzzr in UBC student culture since the late 1970s.
The UBC student newspaper, The Ubysssey, includes from 1919 to 2023 a total 2614 tokens of beer and 498 of bzzr. Bzzr first occurs there in 1977 (see the related quotation). From 1977 to 2023, bzzr accounts for 25.6% of all mentions of beer, a sizeable minority that demonstrates the enregisterment of bzzr in UBC student culture since the late 1970s.
Quotations
1977
PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION
Bzzr night, 6 to 10 p.m., SUB 212
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE
Noon hour film series Habitat Revisited, noon, International House upper lounge
Bzzr night, 6 to 10 p.m., SUB 212
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE
Noon hour film series Habitat Revisited, noon, International House upper lounge
1988
SUMMER HOUSING - V. afford - M/F - students & non-students. Kitchen/laundry facils., pay-TV, arcade games, bzzr mach. Relaxed non-res atmostphere.
2009
[HEADLINE]the mystical origins of BZZR[TEXT]Many years ago, the RCMP and UBC bigwigs decided to crack down on drinking on the UBC campus. One of the new rules they imposed stated that students could no longer advertise the availability of alcohol at social functions.Under this rule, putting the word “BEER” on a poster would get the event shut down. However, the word “BZZR” was perfectly acceptable, and thus a tradition was born.
2022
Our monthly BZZR GARDEN is going bzzrless for March!Join us on March 25th, 2022 (Friday) at the Normand Bouchard Memorial Theatre (UBC Life Building) to watch Paddington 2 (2017, dir. Paul King)
Images
