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DEFINITION: n., Forced small talk used by professional caregivers to put patients at ease. (Not usually effective.) v., To ask insipid questions while subjecting a person to an intimate, awkward or painful procedure.
Verboticisms
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Outerlocutor
Created by: Deirdre
Pronunciation:
Sentence:
Etymology: Form the word interlocutor, meaning a participant in a conversation.
Mediblather
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: medi-blathər
Sentence: The treatment was bad enough. The mediblather was about to make him scream. The only thing that was mildly distracting him from the pain was the thought of choking the shallow life out of this jabbermonkey.
Etymology: medical (of or relating to the science of medicine, or to the treatment of illness and injuries) + blather (talk long-windedly without making very much sense)
Therapalaver
Created by: karenanne
Pronunciation: THAYR ah puh LAV er
Sentence: Believe it or not, the exercises for my burned hand weren't nearly as painful as the therapalaver I had to be subjected to during the treatments. At least talking about the record-setting snowfall in our area, how difficult it was to drive to the clinic, etc., gave me about two weeks off from listening to celebrity gossip....
Etymology: therapy + palaver (superfluous or idle talk)
Spitchat
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: spit-chat
Sentence: Harold hated having to spitchat with the dentist when he had a mouth full of drool from novicaine and dental instruments jammed under his gums.
Etymology: wordplay on chitchat: an informal conversation
Afflictscussion
Created by: amandaprater
Pronunciation: uh-flixs-cuss-shun
Sentence: As the dentist poked around in the patients mouth, he asked the patient about his family. The afflictscussion was obvious as he tried to answer.
Etymology:
Whynecology
Created by: lumina
Pronunciation: wi/neck/ol/ojee
Sentence: It's bad enough for us ladies to endure what we do annually. Would it be too much to ask that we don't have to also engage in meaningless whynecology?
Etymology: Why? Why, oh why????????? :) and Gynecology
Unnecesspeak
Created by: scrabbelicious
Pronunciation: Un-ne-ciss-speak
Sentence: I longed for a speedy outcome which I knew was unlikely due to a constant barrage of unnecesspeak.
Etymology: Unnecessary Speak.
Distromain
Created by: lauren
Pronunciation: dis/tro/main
Sentence:
Etymology: dist ffrom distract, rom from 'from', and ain from pain.
Jabbertalky
Created by: TheFlawlessWord
Pronunciation:
Sentence: "Beware the Jabbertalk, my twit! The hose that sucks, the drills that buzz! Beware the dental bird, and spit The voluminous cottonmouth fuzz!"
Etymology: Apologies to Lewis Carroll
Prostagrabgab
Created by: aayeye
Pronunciation: prŏs'tĭ-'grăb-găb
Sentence: Dr. Stinky would not shut up during my prostate exam. He definately has the gift of prostagrabgab.
Etymology: Postate+grab= prostate exam gab= chit chat during said exam
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you again remistram! ~ James
OZZIEBOB - 2007-10-16: 05:32:00
Great definition and cartoon. Recently, I have had the need to attend a variety of medical professionals, and find that they engage in a fair bit of small talk. Dentists , by far, chatter and, also, seem to recommend the use of a wide range of products.
Thanks Ozziebob! I too have been at the dentist and walked out not only with a sore tooth, but also with a sore ear. ~ James
lumina - 2008-09-11: 00:50:00
whynecology
lumina - 2008-09-11: 00:56:00
Sorry bout that...didn't meant to comment...hit wrong button.
Today's definition was suggested by remistram. Thank you remistram. ~ James