Not Henry Reed's beautiful poem of the same name (do read it if you haven't already; it's one of my favourite war poems), but the naming of body parts.
We have all those coy little words we use, often during vistits to the doctor, and I've often wondered why. Why say "tummy ache" when it's abdominal pain? Why "bottom" for buttocks? Is it that people feel presumptous if they use the right word when speaking to a medical professional? As though the word belongs to the doctor, rather than the patient?
And as for genitalia...oh dear. "Willies" for boys (along with hundreds of other names); "front bottoms" perhaps for girls. Do children actually know the proper names for these body parts?
All this has been on my mind while reading Henry Marsh's fasincating book Do No Harm, about the life of a neurosurgeon, in which he has to keep stopping to explain all the medical terms.
I'll finish with a true anecdote of my own (I may have posted this before, in which case. apologies).
When I was a young staff nurse, I overheard the following conversation between a very new junior doctor, and his elderly (and very deaf) female patient:
Doctor: Have you had any trouble with your front passage?
Patient: What?
Doctor (a littel louder): Have you had any trouble with your front passage?
Patient: I can't hear you!
Doctor: HAVE YOU HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH YOUR FRONT PASSAGE?
Long pause. Then:
Patient (puzzled, but trying to be helpful): Only when my neighbour parks his bicycle in it.
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I did have a mouth full of coffee. Half of it is on the laptop and the other half is running down my nose. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Adrian. I hope the laptop still works?
DeleteWhile I do think I have actually read the little anecdote on your blog (could be years ago... how long have I been following your blog? No idea!), it is still hilarious.
ReplyDeleteBut you are right, of course. So many people use their "coy little words" rather than use the proper terms for body parts. It is silly.
I wonder whether its the same in Germany, Meike?
DeleteOh, sure! I guess it is very similar in every language.
DeleteWho decides what is the "proper" name for anything anyway...? (we have the same kind of euphemisms in Swedish, of course - I think every language does, and probably always did)
ReplyDeleteI suppose by "proper" I mean medically correct,
DeleteMost of the euphemisms sound worse than the proper names, I think.
ReplyDeleteI quite agree, Patsy. My greatest horror is the word "privates". Yuk.
DeleteMy parents were too down to earth and practical for euphemisms. I worked on the wards at 16. 'Nuff said I think.
ReplyDeleteSo what did you do when it came to your own children, GB?
DeleteThe truth is that I can't remember, Frances. Both my wife and I were pretty straightforward about things like that so I doubt we used euphemisms. Thinking about it, the fact that I can't recall suggests to me that we did what we would naturally have done. Which was call a body part by it's proper name.
DeleteDear Frances,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are the one who commented on Tom Stephenson's blog (am unsure because you look younger). Anyway: I like your blog - and having been in Devizes (yes, with a very long narrowboat) I find two good reasons to follow you. Tom I met in Bath. I am German, but write my blogs in English (sort of). .
I think I may be the wrong person, Brigitta, as I don't know that blog. But it's very nice to have you. I'll pay your blog a visit.
DeleteOh that was so funny - laughing aloud here!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it amused you, Rosemary. A the time, it was hilarious.
DeleteCertainly the same in the US. I was almost grown before I ever heard the word urinate! It was always tee-tee or tinkle and if you needed to be more specific about your bathroom requirement it was No. 1 or No. 2!
ReplyDeleteFor sure I ever heard the proper name for a boy's tallywhacker until I was grown and I don't think girls ever referred to their genitalia at all!
it seems we're all the same, Jill!
Delete