GLO Nickname as Single Letter?
 

Given a comment on the finding your letters...

Which letters of the Greek Alphabet have groups which will use just the single letter as a nickname? So for example: The "Alpha"'s have already done Probate' or the "Kappa" house is over on Elm street.


I'll take any National GLO here...

From my (failing) memory
Alpha - Alpha Phi Alpha
Beta - Beta Theta Pi (?)
Gamma - None (Fictional:Gamma Phi Gamma)
Delta - Delta Sigma Theta, Delta Delta Delta(?)
Epsilon - None
Zeta - Zeta Phi Beta , Zeta Tau Alpha
Eta - None
Theta - Kappa Alpha Theta
Iota - Iota Phi Theta
Kappa - Kappa Kappa Gamma (?), Kappa Alpha Psi
Lambda - None
Mu - None
Nu - None
Xi - None
Omicron - None
Pi - None
Rho - None
Sigma - Phi Beta Sigma
Tau - None
Upsilon - None
Phi - None?
Chi - None?
Psi - None?
Omega - Omega Psi Phi

I've seen Tri Sigma referred to as just Sigma.

At a few schools Lambda Chi Alpha is known as "Lambda" instead of "Lambda Chi."

I've always been a bit surprised that we are always "Gamma Phi" and never "Gamma", given that we are the only NPC with gamma as our first letter.

When I rushed, I assumed Pi Beta Phi would be "Beta" because it was the only sorority with Beta in the name.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi is very commonly nicknamed "Sigma"

Our Beta Sigma Phi chapter is known on campus as "Beta".

At a few different schools, I've seen Sigma Kappa referred to as Sigma.... but this still makes me stop and look around for a Sigma Sigma Sigma.

Aren't members of Alpha Tau Omega sometimes called "Taus"?

Lambda is used at my daughter's school.

Me, too.

The only nickname I have not heard used, out of those listed, is Delta for Delta Delta Delta.

I have heard this.

Naraht, you can remove the question mark by Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Delta Tau Delta - "Delts". Does that count? Probably not.

Tri Delta is what I've heard (back in the day Delta was shortened to one syllable, but no longer).

Someone told me that Theta Phi Alpha goes by "Theta" on a campus where there is no Kappa Alpha Theta chapter. Is that true? Makes sense to me.

Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Lambda Alpha Upsilon, and Lambda Theta Phi are all referred to as Lambdas from place to place, and all assert the nickname nationally in some fashion.

Sigma Gamma Rho members often call themselves Sigmas and the sorority Sigma.

Theta Phi Alpha' s official nickname is Theta Phi but as noted we get the "Theta" nickname at times. Out of respect to Kappa Alpha Theta we encourage all our chapters to use our proper Theta Phi nickname but that does not always happen. It seems mostly that the other GLO on whatever campus we are at will continue to call us Thetas no matter how hard we try to encourage the correction.

At my undergrad campus we called them the Gamma's, never Gamma Phi.

Alpha Sigma Tau has a few campuses where they are just called Tau's, but I would say its only 3-4 of the close to 90 chapters.

For Sigma Gamma Rho, that has to get interesting with Phi Beta Sigma which also among the NPHC uses Sigma.

Regenerating the list
 

Rather than edit the one at the beginning of the page, here is the new list including the changes from the comments. Not sure how to mark Standard abbreviation vs. Occasional

Alpha - Alpha Phi Alpha
Beta - Beta Theta Pi (?),Beta Sigma Phi
Gamma - Gamma Phi Beta, None (Fictional:Gamma Phi Gamma)
Delta - Delta Sigma Theta, Delta Delta Delta(?)
Epsilon - None
Zeta - Zeta Phi Beta , Zeta Tau Alpha
Eta - None
Theta - Kappa Alpha Theta, Theta Phi Alpha
Iota - Iota Phi Theta
Kappa - Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Psi
Lambda - Lambda Chi Alpha,Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Lambda Alpha Upsilon, and Lambda Theta Phi
Mu - None
Nu - None
Xi - None
Omicron - None
Pi - None
Rho - None
Sigma - Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi, Sigma Kappa
Tau - Alpha Sigma Tau
Upsilon - None
Phi - None?
Chi - None?
Psi - None?
Omega - Omega Psi Phi

I don't know if it happened at schools other than mine, but everyone referred to Sigma Pi using just Pi.

I had the same thought with Sigma Chi=Sigs.

You can definitely remove the question mark for Beta Theta Pi.

And Alpha Tau Omega, unless you're only referring to the nickname for the GLO and not for members. I don't think I've ever heard ATO called "Tau," but I have heard members called "Taus." For that matter, ditto Sigma Chi and "Sigs."

Sigma Chi nationally prefers "Sigs" as their nickname as opposed to "Sig Chi." I've gotten lectures on this one. :)

A couple of our very old chapters in Missouri go by Alphas, but obviously that doesn't fly at most places.

Yep: either “Sigma Chi” or “Sig”. For what it is worth, I have heard “Sig Chi” used by members and those members also got a lecture.

That is my experience as well. I have cousins who are Alpha Tau Omega members and they sometimes refer to themselves and other ATO members as “Taus”. But I have never heard them (or anyone else) refer to the fraternity as “Tau”.

This may have been a regional thing, but when I was an undergrad at Kentucky, Sigma Nu was referred to as "Nu" and members "Nus". Also at UK, Sigma Alpha Epsilon was called "E" and members were "Es". Not "Epsilon", but the English pronunciation of the letter "E".

To go along with ASTlady, Western Illinois University's Alpha Sigma Tau residence is referred to as The Tau House.

Come to think of it, don't members of Phi Delta Theta sometimes call themselves "Phis" as well as "Phi Delts"?

I have heard just "Delta" used for Tri Delta.

I've heard of Alpha Phi going by just Phi on some campuses.

On our campus, the Alpha Phi members are called Phis and the Alpha Delta Pi members are called Pis! Some people call the Alpha Gams just "Gams" (including some actives :( ) but that is another issue haha! Both the Alpha Phi and Alpha Delta Pi chapters are okay with being called by the single letter name, though I'm not sure if their respective IHQs care for it

^^^Your siggy made me laugh. :)

I have also heard Delta Delta Delta referred to as as "Tri Delta" or "Tri Delt." In college, the Gamma Sigma Sigma chapter often referred to themselves (informally) as "Gamma Girls" but never just "Gammas" though they really could have. There were no other orgs on campus with that first letter.

There is such a plethora of groups that start with Alpha they have to be differentiated somehow. It's either what you described above or English letters.

At my daughter's school, W and L, everyone says "Snu." Since their headquarters is a couple blocks from their house, I guess that passes muster. The SAE chapter has gone by the nickname "E-dogs." I wasn't sure where THAT came from, but just plain E was probably the origin.

My favorite there is still "Guy Phi" for Pi Kappa Phi, to differentiate them from Pi Phi.

Does your Illinois State University chapter use the Gamma nickname since Gamma Phi Circus is also at ISU? Or do students use the word Circus before saying Gamma Phi to distinguish between the groups?

I have heard of being AOII called Alpha's at some campuses. Not sure where.
There is a song where "Alpha's" is mentioned.

To the best of my knowledge, no chapters use "Gamma" as a nickname - others on campus may, but our IHQ discourages anything but "Gamma Phi".