Adding to My Vocabulary

Updated 3/2017 --  all links (except to my own posts) removed as many no longer active. 

This past week I learned several new words and phrases.  Allow me to share a few with you.
Speed sag – I learned of this phrase from a tweet from @BAAPSMedia

Have just seen a cosmetic surgery press release about so-called "Speedo Sag"....Ew

My first thought was the same as my OR crew whom I polled.  We all thought it had to have something to do with the parts of the male anatomy which should be covered by the speedo such as perhaps the scrotum.  It doesn’t. 

I googled it to find out. It has to do with the male’s abdominal skin and fat which falls over the top of the speedo.   Apparently, they are looking for a male abdominoplasty.

Many of the men that want to get the Tummy Tuck, aka “Speedo sag” surgery, have lost weight or started a fitness plan and are looking for a surgery that can remove pockets of fat or loose flaps of skin from their stomach.

I would have called this the “spare tire” or the “dunlop” but not “speedo sag.” 

…………………

The above phrase gave us some risible moments in the OR.

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Laughable; ludicrous.
2. Disposed to laugh.
3. Relating to laughter.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin risus, past participle of ridere (to laugh). Other words that share the same root are ridiculous, deride, rident, and riant.

It hit me as I was writing this that the facial muscle – risorius – who’s function is to retract the angle of the mouth to produce a smile has the same etymology.
And now I hope you will forgive me for the above  folderol as I wish you many risible moments today.

MEANING:
noun:
1. Nonsense; foolishness.
2. A trifle; gewgaw.
ETYMOLOGY:
From a nonsense refrain in some old songs. The word is also spelled as falderal.