A brother in the fraternity I'm pledging is dating my ex

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I'd say because when I heard it used it was always in the context of a "poser." So someone trying to pass for Greek or thinking it's cool to say so that they will be "in" - if you get my drift. One of those "bless his heart" sort of things....

Thanks Titchou. Given that context, I can understand your reaction.

What doesn't make sense to me is the reason I've typically heard: that it is somehow inherently disrespectful to shorten "fraternity" to "frat." This reason is often backed up by The Very Stupid Analogy involving ones country. That one makes no sense to me at all, especially since it leads to the conclusion that it's not inherently disrespectful to shorten the actual name of the fraternity (to something like Kappa Sig, Pi Kapp or Sig Ep), but that shortening the noun "fraternity" is terribly disrespectful.

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I always associate it with the most negative stereotypes. "Frat guy" behavior...

And that is generally the real issue, I think. Linguistically/etymologically, shortening "fraternity" to frat" is no different from shortening "the dormitories on the quadrangle" to "the dorms on the quad." It's a standard Englah practice that often suggests familiarity and often even affection—hence the references one can find in older writings such "dear old frat." But somewhere along the line, "frat" acquired a negative connotation for many Greeks, and that's why many GLOs and why Greeks on many campuses discourage use of it. I do think it's important, though, to remember that there are groups and campuses where the negative connotation hasn't been seen as so strong as to require avoiding the word altogether.

As for "srat" and "srat to," those are just terrible made up words that need to go away.

[Titchou]

Sort of like when I came home from first semester at boarding school outside the south and said something was "bitchin'." Almost got me backhanded across the dining room.