Overheard

Being a patient transporter, I often interpose conversations in elevators. For example, I hop from the lobby's main elevators to 4 south, walk to the North wing, grab a stretcher, take the West wing elevators to C level and exit to the ED. It's a fun job. I love running around - suits my personality. Today I walked into an elevator and heard this: "crows feet. Then you would just imbricate the lesser curve..." It was one doctor talking to another. I'm thinking silently, "Wow, I need to throw around words like that in my elevator conversations." Co-workers and I later discuss the possibilty of saying stuff like, "Hey, did you imbricate that patient in 26?"

Later, I'm on 6 and see a nurse on the phone in the hall. As I pass her, she says in a loud and annoyed voice, "I shouldn't have to press 1! I'm in America."

I'm also in my second year of Greek studies in college, and I happened to run across a few words that impressed me. They're like Greek words on steroids. Multisyllabic words like the future passive indicative verb, σκανδαλισθησεσθε ("I am shocked") and future passive indicative verb, διασκορπισθησονται ("I scatter") from Mark 14:28. And let's not forget the aorist middle infinitive from Ephesians 1:10, ανακεφαλαιωσασθαι ("to recapitulate"). Σκανδαλισθησεσθε comes from the verb σκανδαλιζω (skandalidzo), which is how we got our English word, "scandalous." Hey, I'm impressed.

What?! You mean the president of the pathological liars club wasn't completely honest with you?!? I am shocked!

Agh! The "big turkey" approaches.