Don't use BIG words .......

During my training to become a Paramedic, one of my tutors offered me a bit of advice.
“Don’t use ‘big’ words unless you know exactly what they mean.
A number of years later I was working with a Paramedic who had been on the road for years.
We attended a young man who had been hit by a car. The poor fellow was critically injured.
My partner was checking the patient when I noticed that the patient’s hands were flexed back towards his head. I told my partner that the patient was coning (this is where the brain stem tissue is being forced through the opening in the base of the skull, causing spinal cord compression) and we had to go….now!
This boy is gravely ill.
The patients friend (another young man), requested to travel with us.
“No problem”

We arrived at the ER and went straight through to the ‘resus’ area.

A Doctor came up whom I new had a sharp sense of humour.

He asked my partner what was going on, and my partner replied…

“Well Doc, the patient was a pedestrian that was hit by a car travelling at about 60kpm. When we arrived the patient was cloning.”

I cringed, but without missing a beat, the Doctor asked..

“Ok, so where’s the other one?”

My partner look puzzled and the said “well, he’s … he’s outside (thinking the Doc meant the patients’ friend).”

Continuing on his evil humorous way, the Doc then said “ Do they look alike?”

A more puzzled partner replied “well, I suppose so”

“Its amazing what they can do with science these days.” Doc said

My partner was completely baffled by this stage and walked out of the ER.

He had no idea what he had said or what the Doc was going on about.

That was a few years ago, and I still don’t have the heart to explain to him his faux pas.