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What is the general saying of "_____ 101"?

It can be used for university studies, for example "physics 101" but there is a standard general saying (which can sound a little demeaning) implying the person is basic. Please help!

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  • Room 101 has a different meaning from 'basic'. Commented Jun 1, 2024 at 23:04
  • I'm not sure what your question is. Do you want a general term for expressions like "Physics 101" or the series of "_____ for Dummies" books? Or do you want to know the etymology of "____ 101"? Commented Jun 1, 2024 at 23:21
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    Who says "______ 101"? Please provide actual examples. And why does taking a basic course imply that the student is basic? Commented Jun 1, 2024 at 23:21
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    I just searched for define 101, and was shown this from wikipedia without even leaving the google homepage: Based on this usage, the term "101" (pronounced ONE-oh-ONE) has gained a slang sense referring to basic knowledge of a topic or a collection of introductory materials to a topic, as in the sentence, "Boiling potatoes is Cooking 101". The Oxford English Dictionary records the usage of "101" in this slang sense from 1986. Commented Jun 1, 2024 at 23:46
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    ...and let's be honest, 101 may now be "standard English", but What is the general saying of XXX? certainly ain't! Commented Jun 2, 2024 at 0:08

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Expressions of the form X 101 mean the basics, the fundamentals of X. This construction comes from the way that classes in US colleges and universities are typically numbered: with a prefix identifying the department and a number. The numbers often have three digits, where the leftmost indicates the course’s level (roughly the year). Thus a course offered by the mathematics department and called Introductory Discrete Mathematics and Proofs might be assigned the number “MATH 109.” And where there’s one course that is the foundation for all others in the department, say Introduction to Psychology, it is often numbered “PSYC 101.”

As to its being demeaning, that depends on context. It is often used in an entirely neutral way.

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  • That is an explanation of the meaning of X101, but I think OP is asking for the term for a general case of it. I have no idea what the answer to that might be, other than "saying" or "popular refrain", both of which are in the question already. I'm not downvoting you as I'm uncertain about what OP is asking! Commented Jun 1, 2024 at 23:17
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    You are certainly right, @EllieKesselman, that the OP is ambiguous and unclear. I read it to mean in relevant part, “I know there’s an academic usage like Physics 101. But there’s also a broader usage which, to my nonnative ear, can sound demeaning. Am I missing something?” Anyway, I’ll edit my answer to address the expression’s tone. Commented Jun 1, 2024 at 23:24
  • OP may also be asking how and when to use the format in non-school terms. It's a neutral term. You can suggest doing a favor as "It's kindness 101." Or taking every tax deduction with "That's IRS 101." You may be hinting that it's obvious, but that's in the tone. Commented Jun 2, 2024 at 1:46

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