Essential Northern Virginia Lingo and Resources for Newbs
Every locality has its own unique vocabulary. Northern Virginia is no different. In addition to knowing some basic government vocabulary because so many people work for the Fed, there is basic lingo that people use to get around. Here’s a guide so you don’t sound like a newb - essential Northern Virginia lingo.
Location Slang In and Around Northern Virginia
NoVa- Short for “Northern Virginia” and used to differentiate between “NoVa” and “SoVa” (Southern Virginia). Also the name for Northern Virginia Community College.
DMV - The DC/Maryland/Virginia area
A-Town - This is what douchebags call Arlington. It was also the name of a now-closed sports bar in Ballston where A LOT of crime used to happen.
The ‘Burg - Fredericksburg.
C-Ville - Typically Charlottesville, but some people probably could be using it for Centreville.
Dulles Town Center - a shopping district in Loudoun County
Mosaic District - a shopping area in Merrifield, Virginia.
National Landing - Jeff Bezos/Amazon speak for Amazon HQ. It stretches from Pentagon City, Arlington to the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria, including Reagan National Airport.
Old Town - Typically Old Town Alexandria, but could theoretically also refer to Old Town Fredericksburg. Old Town Alexandria is a historic district on the Potomac River waterfront.
Reston Town Center - a shopping district in Reston.
Tyson’s- Either refers to Tyson’s Corner Mall, the largest mall in the area and one of the busiest malls in America, or the area where the mall sits.
Tyson’s Galleria/Tyson’s II (“Tysons Two”)- The posh sister mall of Tyson’s Corner Center. Here you will find Ferragamo, Versace, Prada, Saint Laurent, etc. with Neiman Marcus and Saks as flagship stores
Transportation Slang In and Around Northern Virginia
The Blue/Orange/Silver/Yellow Lines - Various lines of the metro that service Northern Virginia.
Reagan/National - The local airport in National Landing. Formerly called National Airport, in 1998, the airport’s name was changed to honor President Reagan. But it’s good to know it’s a national airport - that is, it services national destinations and there are very few international flights.
Dulles - The only international airport in the area. If you’re really searching for a deal, you could go to BWI in Baltimiore - but most people won’t.
The Beltway - also known as 495, is a circular interstate highway that surrounds the Washington, D.C area. “Inside the Beltway” is considered slang for Washington, D.C. insiders.
The Mixing Bowl - also known as the Springfield Interchange, an area in Springfield, Virginia where interstate highways 95, 395, and 495 meet and often have to cross multiple lanes of traffic in order to get to where they need to go. Apparently, new construction has made the interchange less fraught, but it’s still not the best area for new drivers.
The Slug Line - Northern Virginia has robust HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) enforcement. When our highways say you have to have two or three occupants per vehicle, we are ready to slap you with huge fines if you are trying to cheat the system as a solo driver. Because of this, when HOV restrictions are enforced, drivers go to slug lines, which are typically parking lots where commuters park and wait to be picked up by someone driving into DC. It’s a beautiful mutually beneficial system with a truly terrible name.
Employers in Northern Virginia
You’ll likely be going to networking events and the number one question asked round these parts is “what do you do?” Familiarize yourself with the names of some of the most popular employers in Northern Virginia.
Fed/Govie - member of the Federal Government
Contractor - employee of a company that has a contract with the Federal Government for some sort of service
DOJ - Department of Justice
DHS - Department of Homeland Security
The VA - Department of Veterans’ Affairs
DOD - The Department of Defense
CIA - Central Intelligence Agency
FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
OPM - Office of Personnel Management
Education Slang Bandied About in Northern Virginia
ASS Law - George Mason’s Law School, named after Antonin Scalia. Antonin Scalia School of Law spells out ASS LAW.
GMU - George Mason University. Do not confuse with George Mason High School.
Mary Wash - Mary Washington University, located in Fredericksburg.
UVA - University of Virginia, where many people from the area call their alma mater, and rival of Tech.
Tech - Virginia Tech, where many people from the area call their alma mater, and rival of UVA.
FCPS - Fairfax County Public Schools - the largest public school system in Virginia, and the 12th largest school system in the US.
Langley - This is either the area where the CIA is located or a high-achieving high school.
TJ - TJ (also known as TJHSST) is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. It is the #1 high school in the country, and it happens to be located in Northern Virginia. (It’s also my alma mater. NBD). The admission criteria is constantly being tweaked, so it’s a constant topic of conversation in the region.
Government Lingo You Need to Know in Northern Virginia
GovSpeak could be its own language. Here are some common terms that government employees use.
CYA - Cover Your Ass
GG/GS - Government salary rankings
USAJOBS - This is the website where prospective candidates apply for government jobs.
TS/SCI - Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information - a high level security clearance.
SCIF - Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility (pronunced “skiff”)
TDY/TAD/TDI - Temporary Duty Assignment/Temporary Additional Duty/Temporary Duty Under Instruction
Culture You Need to Know in Northern Virginia
Arlington Rap - This is the definitive rap about Arlington. Ok, there aren’t a lot of contenders.
Washington Football Team - The football team formerly known as the Redskins. Also “the Burgundy and Gold.”
Important Websites
Get your local news.
ArlNow - local news blog for Arlington.
Alexandria Now - local news blog for Alexandria.
RestonNow - local news blog for Reston.
WTOP - the popular news radio station.
Essential Northern Virginia Lingo for Newbs
It’s hard moving to a new area. Northern Virginia lingo can be so deeply ingrained that it sounds like a foreign language. But hopefully this handy guide will help you get acquainted with the new language that is Northern Virginia slang and you can pass yourself off as a local - until you actually stay long enough to become one.
