Opinion Christmas 2025: Lost in Words

Migration of clinical lexicon to colloquial slang

Nikki Nabavi

BMJ 2025; 391 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r2505 (Published 12 December 2025)Cite this as: BMJ 2025;391:r2505

Clinical words and phrases often work their way into doctors’ everyday language, sometimes without them realising. Nikki Nabavi reports

Doctors are known for our use of jargon, acronyms, and myriad medical phrases that can sometimes feel like a secret code, or even a whole other language, to our patients. Even those who spend the most time with us may hear us using words or expressions that require translation into non-technical language.

It has been estimated that medical students learn 9000 new words in their first year,1 and about 55 000 over the course of their medical degree.2 Some have suggested that medical students learn more new words during their time at university than language students.3

After commencing our careers, many of us notice how easily medical terms slip into everyday talk (“I’ll vet that idea”). This exchange is not carelessness, but creativity. Language, like medicine, evolves for efficiency and connection. When a borrowed phrase captures intended meaning more precisely, it will make its way into your personal lexicon.

This phenomenon is not unique to medical jargon. We already borrow words from foreign languages and incorporate them when they are better descriptors than the English alternative. Similarly, some corporate jargon—such as “low hanging fruit” and “bandwidth”—has sneaked into everyday use and is now widely recognised.

Whether it’s generational or cultural slang, incorporation of other languages, or workplace terminology, there is endless renewal of language. Words migrate where they are needed.

Below are some alternative uses of terms from the common clinical lexicon, a shared phrasebook my peers and I have often caught ourselves using outside the hospital walls.

Time

Doctors are primed to think in chronological terms. Medical timekeeping has quietly infiltrated our day-to-day language, bringing with it a surprising level of temporal structure.

• Acute, chronic. For example, “I’ve become acutely aware that…” or, “He’s chronically late”
• BD, TDS, QDS. Twice, three times, and four times a day, respectively. For example, “Coffees BD on a normal working day, coffees TDS for a long day on call”
• Day X post-Y. Used as a measurement of time after an event. For example, “Day 1 post-curl,” in reference to curled hair dropping over time, or, “Day 2 post-flight,” in reference to jet lag
• Mane. From the Latin, used in medical notes meaning tomorrow morning. Often found in text messages from doctors. For example, “Can I catch a lift with you mane?”
• SDT day. Self-development time. Used to describe a productive day off work, including when mundane household chores or life admin are achieved
• Zero day. Any day off where little was achieved or a non-productive day at home.

Place

Once we understand the importance of standardised descriptive terminology, doctors often apply the same precision to navigating everyday spaces.

• Medial, lateral. Used to describe geographical location, such as when trying to find a lost friend at a festival: “We’re near the midline, lateral to the flag when facing the stage”
• Palpate. To feel for, with the aim to locate. For example, to palpate your pocket to check for your phone.

Shorthand

Doctors are famous for their poor handwriting, so perhaps some of the written shorthand inspired by medical documentation has gone unnoticed by the layperson when they migrate into our texts, emails, birthday cards, and shopping lists.

• Impression. Used to summarise findings or a likely conclusion. For example, “Impression: she’s upset with me”
• NAD. No abnormality detected or nil acute concerns. Used to confirm things are okay
• PRN. For use as required. For example, “I’m tired today, so I’ve been napping PRN”
• Query. Found in written form as a question mark preceding a word. Examples include “?Coffee” (query coffee) or “?lunch” (query lunch), suggesting you are ready for coffee or lunch if the other party is. Query before the word is suggestive—yes, unless proved otherwise. This differs from asking a question, as it is suggesting a likely outcome: a query suggests something but requests clarification or any immediate objections
• ?Cause.See query (above). Used when uncertain of causality. For example, “She’s in a bad mood today ?cause”
• +++ Meaning something is present in excess, used to describe much or many. For example, “It’s meant to be sunny+++ this weekend,” or adding “milk+++” to a shopping list
• +/- Used to indicate that the term directly after the symbols may or may not happen. For example, “Shall we go for dinner +/- drinks?”
• +/- proceed. Used when indicating that something may go further, depending on the evolving situation and any findings. For example, when planning to make dinner, “See if there’s any pasta in the cupboard+/- proceed.”

Process

After years of triaging, escalating, and delegating, it becomes second nature to apply the same structured thinking elsewhere. Many of these clinical frameworks prove transferable to everyday logistics.

• I need to make a referral. I need your advice
• Jobs list. The classic NHS jobs list system with coloured-in boxes, used instead of a to-do list or checklist
• Live-in carer. A term of endearment to describe your flatmate or a friend who is staying over
• Meals on wheels. Used to describe ordering a takeaway
• Package of care. Alternative description for a gift or help received
• Prophylactic. Used with preventative intention. For example, “I had a prophylactic early night,” or “I need a prophylactic nutritious breakfast” before a big day
• Spigot. As in spigotting a nasogastric tube to temporarily stop the flow of fluid. Used in place of “pause” or “hold.” For example, “Spigot that idea for a moment”
• Take it to the MDT. Using the abbreviation for multidisciplinary team (MDT) to refer to a wider group, often a friend group with varying life experiences. For example, a scenario or question is taken to the group to dissect and offer advice about
• Triage. The process of sorting, prioritising, and allocation of tasks. For example, triaging your laundry to ensure the most immediately required items can be clean again in time for use.

Classification

If we can clinically evaluate a patient at 3 am, we can certainly score our own functionality. Hence the rise of casual self-assessment, a useful shorthand for communicating wellbeing (albeit mildly concerning if not used ironically)

• Use of a scoring system. Examples such as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), or Clinical Frailty Score (CFS) can capture how you’re feeling. For example, “I’m a CFS 4 today” (CFS 4 = vulnerable) or “I was GCS 14.” When doctors are unwell, they may refer to themselves as “scoring” or “NEWSing,” implying their basic observations may be altered and may flag up using NEWS
• Welfare check. Used when checking on a friend who has not replied for a while, or perhaps someone who is behaving outside their usual character.

Social navigation

Doctors have a habit of applying clinical logic to personal routines and social interactions. Here are some examples of ways you can elevate your personal lexicon with quick and efficient terms to acknowledge relational dynamics.

• At baseline. When something (or someone) is in the normal or expected state
• Ceiling of care. Used to describe maximum capacity, or no further ability to take on any more
• Clinically dry. Thirsty
• Completely benign. A harmless situation or individual, or when there are no further problems
• Dominant, recessive. The former used when a trait or person is the common denominator and means something always happens whenever it is present; the latter describes when another factor is required to activate the outcome. For example, the need to order dessert at a restaurant is dominant for some, recessive for others
• I’m on free fluids tonight. Going out for a drink
• On a background of X. Giving context for a scenario. For example, “I’m exhausted today, on a background of being on call over the weekend”
• Peer reviewed. When someone repeats your joke, but makes it funnier
• Secondary. When event X is secondary to event Y, often as a way to capture causality. For example, “I won’t be able to make it, secondary to the train being cancelled”
• Self-isolate. Describing staying at home or being alone as a preventative measure. For example, “I’ve spent too much money this month, so I’m having to self-isolate.”

Honorary mentions

Finally, a space for the words and phrases which may not have a new meaning or unique clinical context but may be seeing an increased frequency in their casual use by doctors.

• Affect. Defined as the collection of behaviours that describe someone’s emotional state. For example, “Did you notice the shop assistant’s affect today?”
• Rapport. Creating a good relationship with mutual understanding, trust, and respect. For example, “I had good rapport with the plumber today”
• Vetting. To vet something or get something vetted implies seeking approval to proceed. For example, “They’re happy for us to bring the dog to their house, I vetted it with them last night”
• Wean. Gradual reduction in an attempt to stop. 

You may have recognised phrases in this collection that you catch yourself using, perhaps without realising their origin. This subtle migration of language seems more common among newer generations of doctors, who may be adopting these expressions as an informal dialect. When collating this list, most doctors I asked initially said they didn’t use medical terminology outside of work, confident in their neatly drawn separation of personal and professional lives. Yet, almost without fail, messages soon followed, “Actually, I just said…” and more examples arrived.

Perhaps there are phrases that are more common in certain specialties or are only adopted after further years of clinical experience. Should you have any examples to add to our collection, we welcome their submission as Rapid Responses, or by joining the conversation on social media.