Phlebonics

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/21/2010 10:59 AM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:
>On Apr 21, 2010, at 7:25 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>
>>At 4/21/2010 12:32 AM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>>>Isn't there also an auxiliary branch of medicine known as
>>>"phlebonics," where they draw your blood or something? This is not to
>>>be confused with that infamous bit of quacksalvery known as
>>>"fleabonics." Everybody knows that can't cancer be cured with any
>>>fleas, despite what those local-cable ads claim.
>>
>>Are you thinking of phlebotonics?  The science of studying the
>>processes of blood coursing through meat-eating plants?  :-)
>
>on a more serious note, he might have been thinking of phlebotomy
>(etymologically 'vein'-cutting'), the drawing of blood for clinical
>purposes -- by a phlebotomist.

Gee. arnold, if I'd known you were so serious, I would have explained myself.

Joel

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org