latest in medical slang: 'Hasselhoff'

[Harold Schiffman]

'Hasselhoff' heads new wave of medical slang

David Batty Guardian Unlimited, Friday December 21 2007

The creative language that doctors use to insult their patients and
each other is in rude health, with the former Baywatch star David
Hasselhoff lending his name to one of the latest slang medical terms.
A Hasselhoff is medical shorthand for a patient who turns up in
casualty
"with an injury with a bizarre explanation", according to the latest
edition of the British Medical Journal.

The slang was inspired by a freak injury the former Knight Rider actor
suffered at London's Sanderson hotel last year when he hit his head on
a glass shelf  or chandelier according to some newspaper reports
while shaving and cut his arm. Other pop culture icons to lend their
names to irreverent medical terminology include Jack Bauer, the
protagonist of the US TV series 24,
and Mini Me, Doctor Evil's pint-sized clone from the Austin Powers films.

A Jack Bauer is a doctor who is "still up and working after 24 hours
on the job", while a Mini Me is a trainee or medical student who
emulates their senior colleagues a bit too much but does not say a
lot.Perhaps the least complimentary term is reserved for patients: a
Father Jack is a "confused, usually elderly patient whose constant
high-pitched verbal ejaculation and attempts to get out of bed are
responsible for insomnia on wards".

The slang comes from the name of the rancid old priest in the TV
series Father Ted who sits in the corner of the room drinking heavily
and shouting "feck" and "arse". The list has been compiled by Paul
Keeley, a consultant in palliative medicine at Glasgow Royal
infirmary. Keeley said: "Just as doctors need to familiarise
themselves with new words arising from new concepts and technologies,
they need to keep up with changing usages and slang."

Other terms listed include MacTilt - the tilting of the head by a
Macmillan cancer nurse, which is intended to convey sympathy and
understanding  and agnostication - the usually vain attempt to answer
the question, "How long have I got, doc?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/dec/21/health
***********************************************************************************

N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal.

***********************************************************************************



-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)
*******************************************