Humorous disease names

RonButters at AOL.COM RonButters at AOL.COM
Sat Jun 7 15:05:08 UTC 2008


In a message dated 6/7/08 10:44:12 AM, bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU writes:


> There's a lot of (mostly apocryphal) medical malapropisms/eggcorns out
> there:
>
> sick as hell anemia -> sickle cell anemia
> spinal meningitis -> smilin' mighty Jesus
> Alzheimer's disease -> old timer's disease
> phenobarbital -> peanut butter balls
> etc.
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>

Which of course we have been over several times in the past here. Check the
archives for these and others--and for references to articles published on
exactly this topic.


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