A cultural phenomenon, which occurs when a current trend makes its way from an elite social circle to those with little individuality or mark of status. When something becomes third-tier it typically loses value and creativity along the way.

Third tier toilet. Generally used by loser dorks on xoxohth.com as a pejorative term for law schools that are not prestigious, aka Top 14 law schools. To the faggots on xoxohtm.com, a law school is either a TTT or a Top 14 school, there is no in-between.

Originally an acronym for "third tier toilet," denoting a college or university ranked at or below the third tier of exclusivity by U.S. News & World Report. The millenial private-SAT-tutor set who coined the term on internet discussion boards (notably Princeton Review) during the late 1990s -- and among whom its use remains largely confined -- considered attending a TTT to be beneath their dignity.

Usage of the noun form soon expanded to include any institution, person, locale, etc. deemed likewise lacking in prestige or desirability, particularly if owing to an association with the lower socioeconomic orders.

Adjective usage ascribes to the object the quality or state of being a TTT.

Child in Man's Body; The proposed third tier of a video game rating system on the Daily Show.

Dubious "graduate" degree granted by cynical, money-hungry institutions of "higher learning" for purposes of allowing holder to pose as a scholar, academic, or other fashionably trendy charlatan whilst offering the chosen "field" of inquiry absolutely nothing in terms of serious intellectual achievement or advanced understanding. Fake Ph.D.'s subsequently engage in the absurd high wire act of passing themselves off as elitists, albeit at the cost of plying the charade at any number of bottom-feeding universities and junior colleges, oftimes with little in the way of real teaching duties or responsibilities. The scam is further perpetuated by innumerable junkets to fraudulent "academic" conferences (with other fake Ph.D.'s, of course!) for the purpose of inflating an already thin curriculum vitae (C.V.),in hopes of achieving a higher salary and "tenure". What published work exists often appears in third-rate journals or failing political rags

In higher education, college and university rankings are determined by any combination of factors. Rankings can be based on subjectively perceived "quality," on some combination of empirical statistics, or on surveys of educators, scholars, students, prospective students, or others. Rankings are often consulted by prospective students and their parents in the university and college admissions process.

The US News and World Report is the most influential ranking in the US. Schools are split into four tiers, with the best being first, and then schools are ranked within each of tier. The first tier is reserved for only the top 50 schools and any college ranked below 50 but above the third tier is part of the second tier. The fourth tier is reserved for the bottom of the barrel colleges and universities.

gar-den-er

n.

A Nerd Gardener is a third tier nerd, one who takes care of the general populous's need for vegetarian foods. They also take care of the Royal Nerd Palace's gardens and make sure the landscape is in check.

Nerd Gardeners, are, by exact Nerd Mandate, "those who work for the aesthetic welfare of the Empire of Nerds."