Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US campus) a course in basic physics for arts specialists; thus also vars. for other similarly ‘easy’ courses.

1982		W. Safire What’s The Good Word? 300: Any science course aimed at general arts students includes a technocrat’s derogation of the generalist as ‘Physics for Poets’.
1989		J. Doyle College Sl. Dict. 🌐 BERKELEY Astronomy 10 Self Paced General Astro – ‘Astro Without Stars’ Math P Remedial Trig & Algebra – ‘Math Without Numbers’ [...] COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES – any Physics class, especially required 1st and 2nd year classes – ‘Phy-sucks’ [...] MIT advanced version of freshman physics (first term) – ‘8.012 Mechanics for Masochists’; advanced version of freshman physics (second term) – ‘8.022 Electricity and Masochism’ [...] NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY Physics 107 Adventures in Physics – ‘Physics for Jocks and Pretty Girls’ [...] BERKELEY Physics 10 Physics Without Math – ‘Physics for Poets’.