The differences in medical terminology between the US and the UK provide a rich seam for expat bloggers to mine. Have you ever thought, oh UK readers, how confusing it must be for Americans to hear they need to register at the doctor's surgery? What? There are plenty more, which I think I've blogged about before, but I'm not going to look for the link because (a) I'm not sure it's terribly interesting, and (b) I'm in the Honda customer lounge waiting while my vehicle to be serviced (I said "vehicle" not "car" - see how naturally I speak the lingo these days), and I'm determined to finish the post in the time it takes to do an oil change and a few other bits and bobs, with my new-found speed-writing skills. That's what blogging every day for a month does for you.
One of the new medical terms I've had to acquire is Pink Eye. When we lived in Scotland, it was Red Eye, but here it's Pink Eye. Aren't you glad you read my blog? Just think, you might never have known that fact in your whole life. And now, not only do you know why a pea coat is called a pea coat, but you know that Red Eye is called Pink Eye in America (or, of course, that Pink Eye is called Red Eye in the UK, depending on your point of origin).
On Saturday, 5-yo took a tumble, while she was running up and down some bleachers in a school gym. Bleachers are stands of raised seating, for my UK readers. Oh, it's just a new fact a minute over here at my blog today, isn't it? Anyway, 5-yo was running up the bleachers after her big brother and his big friend, and just at the point where I said
"This is such a bad idea. Someone will get hurt. No more running up the bleachers",
she tripped, and landed on her face. Stifling a desire to hoot "I told you so, why does no-one ever listen to me?" I picked her up, comforted her, and saw the beginning of what I sensed was going to be an impressive shiner. It would have been, I think, but for the application of arnica cream and the administration of arnica tablets when we got home. That stuff is miraculous. On Sunday morning, instead of having a swollen and deeply bruised eye, she had one that was a little puffy and a delicate shade of violet.
She looked in the mirror, and asked "Is this called Purple Eye?"
Ha. Finished the blog post, and car not ready. I win.
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Bravo! Your so efficient now an thanks for the facts i can't believe i didn't know what pink eye - i can sail happily through life now i know that one ;)
ReplyDeleteI love efficiency - in every form!
ReplyDeleteLCM x
Love it. I only recently found out what bleachers are, having been flummoxed by reading the term in the newspaper....
ReplyDeleteHi, I enjoyed all the new terminology here.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with you re arnica, it's just magic!
Impressive speed-blogging. Now go walk down the side-walk into your back-yard and turn on the faucet. That's it - I know no other US terms.
ReplyDeleteArnica, great stuff. We get through vats of it.
ReplyDeleteArnica -- I have no clue what that is and I'm from the US. I'll have to figure that one out. I had an entire conversation the other day with a friend in the UK about seeing a podiatrist only to find out that a "foot doctor" goes by some perplexing name in the UK. So much so that now I even forget what it is. Chero-something or other. And my sis in the UK gave me all the scoop about registering at the surgery. I'm so glad I had advice or I'd never have figured it out! I can't imagine how difficult our insurance system must seem to a Brit or Scot in the US, though.
ReplyDeleteOh and one more medical snippet for when your kids hit high-school. "Mono", "mononucleosis", "Epstein-Barr Virus", or "kissing disease" are all US names for what you call "glandular fever" in the UK. I've had some interesting (and confusing) conversations about that one, too!
ReplyDeleteTwo nations seperated by the same language! I remember once being in a taxi in Atlanta and being complimented on my faultless "English"...
ReplyDeleteOh the best confusion between our two great countries was when we used the word fag in the USA - it was of course slang for a homosexual but we meant going out for a cigarette and the other was asking for a rubber to erase a pencil mark. They thought we were asking for a condom! Two great nations devided by one common language!
ReplyDeleteAnd I wrote a book on the whole thing!!! But seriously - do you say "ve-ickle" or "vee-Hickle"?
ReplyDeleteNow imagine my language confusion when in the states, being Austrian, married to a Swede, who is dyslexic, all living in the UK. The only reason I ever get anything right is thanks to spell check. I owe these guys a lot.
ReplyDeleteArnica? No idea what that is. In our house it's referred to as "magic cream" and is the panacea for all ills...
ReplyDeleteps I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear that I've awarded you an award...
I'm cool with bleachers...bangs is the one that always confuses me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite caught up on all your news yet - might have to book a day off tomorrow!
Mya x (random quirky oddbod)
Cute!
ReplyDeleteYes the first time I went to the GP surgery here I was a bit concerened...
I had forgotten about arnica, thanks for the tip.
Great post! You were right to stop them running on the bleachers.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 6 or 7 I was running around on some bleachers, fell, and cut my lip open. My mom had told me to stop, my dad had argued it was no big deal. My mom got to say "I told you so!" as they stiched my lip up in the ER.
One more comment/question to you folks from the UK: What is "the dreaded lurgy?" My boyfriend told me once that he had "caught the dreaded lurgy" and tried to explain to me what it was -- but it made absolutely no sense. Is it just "lethergy" shortened? Is it a real cold? Curious minds want to know...
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of Pink Eye (or even Red Eye for that matter) until I moved to the US. All the girls seem to have it and all the moms get very cross if someone comes into school with it. We've managed to avoid it so far.
ReplyDeleteNever thought about the 'surgery' until now - that's very funny!
You are a mine of information. A font of knowledge. However, i still have no idea what red or pink eye is but the purple one sounds kinda painful.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I hope your little one recovers from purple eye quickly.
ReplyDeleteMy years in Big Bizniss taught me that the red-eye was the first flight of the day requiring you to get up at 0430 or something hideous to be in the office in a foreign country, including time-zone change, for 9 am. Totally unable to function. Hurrah. Well done those who invented that one (sorry, am I sounding like a fundamentalist feminist?)
ReplyDeleteHope she recovers from her purple eye soon, and yesm arnica is great. How incredible that the English language should be spoken so differently. Having said that, I do a lot of editing work but only edit documents in UK English because US English is a whole different set of editing skills, not just in the spelling but in the use of punctuation as well. Incredible really.
ReplyDeleteI dont have red, pink or purple eye, but I wonder if arnica works for bags-under-the-eye? Or do they just go when the kids move out?
ReplyDeleteDreaded lurgy - generic name for any diease that makes you feel lousy for a few days without permanent damage.
ReplyDelete