101 (pronounced ) is a slang term for the most basic knowledge in some subject, as in "boiling potatoes is cooking 101".

History

The slang sense of the number "101" originates from its frequent use in US college course numbering systems to indicate the first or introductory course in some topic of study, such as "

Calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

101" or "

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

101"."Why Are Introductory Classes Called '101'?"
–

Mental Floss ''Mental Floss'' (stylized as ''mental_floss'') is an online magazine and its related American digital, print, and e-commerce media company focused on millennials. It is owned by Minute Media and based in New York City, United States. mentalflos ...

Forest, J.J.F. (2002) ''Higher education in the United States: an encyclopedia'
p.73.
ABC-CLIO. . Retrieved October 2011 An early use of "101" in this sense occurs in a catalog from the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

in 1929. The

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

records a use of "101" in the general slang sense from 1986.

References

External links

{{Wiktionary, 101 *
How to Read a Course Description
' at Boise State University Academic slang Educational practices