A fork of Rural Dictionary
Noun (Prep): Comes from identifiying one who goes to a prepratory or "prep" school (typically on the East Coast), or a school with the intent of preparing its students for college (often Ivy League). Has come to be an label for those who conform to typical teenage behavior, in areas like clothing, school behavior, and sports participation, because preps usually are more ambitious and/or image-conscious than others. Popular belief is that preps hate nerds/goths/punks/etc, however, generally, preps pay little attention to other "types," and those who hate preps with the most passion are those who were once preps and have recently gone away from their previous behavior, and often people who are posers intent on protecting their alternative-ness. Prep has become to be nearly synonymous with conformist, to the point where most preps have been in denial of their typecast, and it is seen as an insult in the eyes of many. Preppy is the adjective form, Preppily is the adverb.
The prep dreamed of going to a school that wasn't too far from where her quarterback boyfriend got a scholarship. Bob wouldn't talk to Annie; He thought her interest in MTV and popular culture made her too preppy. Tiffany started dressing very preppily over the summer, shedding her all-black dress code for the latest styles.
(1) A real prep is a person, male or female who is normally a White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant, or WASP. Preps can be any religion, however. A prep is rich because of old money inherited and passed down to other generations. Preps live in Colonial style houses in New England. Preps shop at places like IZOD, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Orvis, Lily Pulitzer and other boutiques. Preppy people wear pastels, polo shirts, khakis, sweaters, sun dresses, birkenstocks, TEVAs, Docksiders, belts and ribbons. Materials of choice are wool, cotton, corduroy, silk and occasionally denim.Preps play tennis, golf, squash, raquet ball and field hockey. You will see a prep driving a stereotypical car like a BMW, a flashy Mercedes, a classy Jaguar, a boxy Volvo or any convertible (Volkswagen Beetle convertible) or SUV (Isuzu Trooper). A true prep is not spoiled and gets all good things in moderation. Preps belong to country clubs (inland) or yacht clubs for those lucky enough to live on the coast or near a large body of water. Preps go to Beer Blasts and can be stuffy. Contrary to popular beliefs, true preps do not make fun of punks, goths or any other group. Preps are not brought up mean, and do not have time to make fun of people. (2)A person, male or female, who shops at AE, Aeropostale, A&F and other "preppy stores." Acts ditzy to get friends or seem easy. Plays soccer or lacrosse, normally. They have some money. These fake preppy bitches have no problem making fun of people/ making others feel bad and out of place This is not a true "prep" however.
(1) Bif: Well good afternoon, Martha, how are you? Martha: I am well, thank you for asking, and you? Bif: I picked my BMW up from the shop and went to the Yacht Club. Martha: Oh, peachy! Bif: Indeed. (2) Kathy: Like oma-gah. I like broke an effin' nail. Son of a bee! Don: Will you give me some behind the bleachers? Kathy: Haha, duh! Don: I'm cool because I pretend to be a prep but end up being a poseur instead. Kathy: I am soooo dumb.. L O L!
A common misconception is that a prep is someone who shops at American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister and pariticpates in school sports and activites. A prep is actually one who attends a prepatory school, usually on the east coast, comes from an old rich family and dresses in labels like Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. A prep wears sweater vests, plays tennis, is a country club member and is destined for a top Ivy League school.
Person 1: Did you see that preppy girl? Person 2: Yeah. I'll bet she's really rich.
The most importent part of the definition of a "prep" is where they go to school. "Preps" go to College Prepetory schools; hence the word "prep." These schools are always private, and often (but not always) boarding schools. The best sports teams are generally lacrosse and field hockey, but everyone has alot of school spirit. Therefore, people who do not go to Prep schools, but dress in the stereotypical clothing of preps (Polos, kakais, loafers, etc.) are not preps, but rather they are "preppy." Essentially these people want to seem like they have ties to old money, or are rich, or are blue bloods, etc, etc. Now the real preps are generally smart, privilaged, and (very often) white. Their parents are usually doctors, lawyers, or buisnessmen, and all went to college. All preps will go to college, often Ivy Legue schools, or small liberal arts colleges in New England (Middlebury, Trinity, Colby, Etc.), though some will go to the elite west coast schools. Preps will generally fill their college resumes with multiple AP classes and will have SAT tutors or courses to assue their entry into these small, elite, and expensive private colleges. In the end, these real "preps" are the new aristocracy of the United States. They live their lives sheltered from the hardships that the average citizen must deal with, going on about their way in refined luxury. Their lives are set up before they are born, most will go on to similarly professional, affluent, and prestigious careers as their parents, and they will soon give birth to the next generation of preps.
The real preps don't simply dress "preppy." They live it.
A prep can take on several forms, but it is most certainly not someone who shops at american eagle, hollister, areo, or abercrombie since 1970. Its a person who comes from a upper class, established family who dresses and lives in a conservative american style. I like to break the prep genre down into three classes: 1) Coastal Sea-farer: A person from an upper class family usually from the New England coast who enjoys boating (sailboats and yachts). Typically has attended a NE boarding school and private college, this education needed to handle their parents' fortune. Can be seen wearing vineyard vines, polo, lacoste, brooks brothers, and anything associated with sailing. When not on the water drives a Land Rover or Mercades. Lives on the coast but does not associate with beach bums or the surfing types, only with other sea-farer families. Family may be established in business, politics, or medicine. See the Kennedy family or the Cleary family from "Wedding Crashers" 2. Country Clubber: Person who can be found at the high end country clubs in most major american cities, though I believe they may be stronger in the south. Grow up at the local private school and wear polo, brooks brothers, lacoste, and other country club attire, drives a BMW. Lives in the high society of their community where the deb ball is more important than the prom and appearance is high on the list of priorities. Plays mostly golf and tennis, though they might suck at both. 3. Outdoorsy Prep: Someone who spends a lot of time outdoors engaging in outdoorsy activities. May draw more from the middle class than the other catagories of prep. Wear Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Northface, and other high quality outdoor gear, drive chevy tahoes with DU stickers. Will NEVER be confused with tree hugging hippies, with whom they share only a love for chacos sandles. Outdoorsy Preps support groups like Ducks Unlimited, not Green Peace. Big into hiking, camping, skiing, hunting, and fishing. Theodore Roosevelt is the god-father of outdoorsy prepdom.
Teenager: Look at that prep coming out of Abercrombie. Biff: (bitch slapping teenager) Wrong! Look at that prep coming off his fathers yacht, or coming off the TPC golf course, or hunting moose on his family ranch in Idaho.
A person who is from an upper middle class family and typically went to private or PREP school (boarding or day). They wear clothes from Brooks Brothers, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, J. Crew, J. Press, and L.L. Bean (to name a few) because they will never go out of style. They dress this way because they have acquired good taste from their parents and peers. Preps do NOT, as many non-preps seem to believe, wear Abercrombie, Hollister, or American Eagle. These people are merely poor(bad) imitators. However, being preppy is a lifestyle not a fashion. There is more to being a prep than just dressing tastefully. Being a prep means that you most likely attended Cotillion once a month as you grew up, spent summers at the cape or somewhere similar, play tennis, like to watch crew, and love horseback riding. Being a prep means that you have a certain way of speaking wether it be locust valley lockjaw or Boston Brahmin. All preps have read The Official Preppy Handbook (1980) and all non-preps who think they know what a prep is should read it.
Biff: "When do you think people will stop refering to average public school kids as preps just because they pop their collars?" Skip: "I guess the same time they realize that true preps don't shop at Abercrombie and Fitch."