Medical Terminology for Malingerers

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Bruce Bludger wishes to take the day off work, so he phones his boss to say he has ecchymosis. The boss is quite impressed as it sounds serious. But what is ecchymosis? a bruise a wart a boil a scar

2. A week later Bruce decides to have another day off, so he phones the boss to say he has borborygmi. The boss tells him to stay at home because it sounds contagious. What is/are borborygmi? "tummy rumbles" pimples hiccups hives

3. The following week, Bruce decides to go for a "hat trick". He phones the boss to say he can’t come to work because he has alopecia. Unfortunately, the boss knows what this means. What is alopecia? baldness boils bad breath freckles

4. The boss gives Bruce a hard time about the number of sick days he has been having, so he decides to keep a low profile for a while. However, after a couple of weeks, Bruce thinks he needs another day off. This time he claims to have cerumen. The boss replies "everybody does". What is cerumen? ear wax wrinkles nasal mucus sweat glands

5. The boss warns Bruce that such flimsy excuses for taking time off work are not acceptable, so the next time he calls in sick, Bruce tells the boss he has varicella. This time he really is sick and has a medical certificate to prove it - another two weeks off work! What is another name for varicella? chicken pox mumps measles whooping cough

6. The next time Bruce phones in sick, he tells the boss he has a cicatrix. The boss doesn't know what this means so he looks it up in the medical dictionary. What does cicatrix mean? a birthmark a stye a mole a scar

7. The boss decides it’s time he had a day off, so he calls in sick before Bruce does. Actually he has decided to stay home and spend some quality time with his wife but she declines his attentions because she has cephalalgia. What is her problem? a head cold indigestion a headache a persistent nosebleed

8. The boss wants to fire Bruce. The only reason he keeps Bruce on is because he can't wait to hear what the next excuse will be. He doesn't have long to wait before Bruce calls in claiming that he woke up with pandiculation. What is pandiculation? sneezing belching snoring yawning and stretching

9. The boss decides Bruce is well-named and fires him for malingering. Bruce goes to the pub (bar or hotel, depending upon where you live). This causes Bruce to become crapulent. What is Bruce suffering from now? constipation intoxication dehydration excessive sweating

10. Bruce’s wife nags him to apply for another job but his prospective employer calls his old boss to check out Bruce's references. The ex-boss advises him not to hire Bruce because the only medical excuse he hasn't used is hypochondria! What does hypochondria mean? all of these choices are correct abnormal concern about one's own wellbeing a condition under the (rib) cartilage the false belief one is suffering from a disease