Pigs and Cows

Here we go again with the "pandemic" swine flu. By "go again," I don't mean around round of another flu; I mean the use of the word, "pandemic." What in the world was wrong with the older word, "epidemic"? "Pan" is the Greek prefix which means "with," "throughout"; "epi" is the Greek prefix which means "all around," "covering." The current concern is the swine flu appearing around the world, which means that "pandemic" adds substantially nothing to the meaning of "epidemic."

As I said in a previous blog which protested the fairly recent and dominant use of "medication" in place of "medicine," I'll start using "medication" in my speech the day on which Harvard or Yale changes the name of its subcollege from School of Medicine to School of Medication. See how silly "medication" now sounds? Let "pandemic" be given some "medication."

Well, at any rate, I hope this new "pandemic" doesn't strike at my house. The last thing I need is the swine flu in addition to my mad-cow disease. The little woman simply could not stand me oinking and bellowing at the same time.

-Old Gargoyle