Medical terms That Go Wider

I wrote something for another blog about how the word "viral" which originally was related only to viruses, but now describes content that spreads rapidly online. But there are a good number of words that started as medical terminology but have now gone wider than their original medical usage. Most of them are a very close metaphorical usage to the original usage. 

Trauma Originally: Physical injury or psychological damage. Now: Used broadly to describe emotional distress, e.g., “That breakup was traumatic.”

Fever Originally: Elevated body temperature due to illness. Now: Used metaphorically, like “Bieber fever” or “football fever.”

Inflammation Originally: Swelling and redness due to infection or injury. Now: Used in wellness circles to describe chronic health issues or even emotional states.

Contagious Originally: Easily spread disease. Now: Used for ideas, moods, or behaviors. "Her laughter is contagious.”

Diagnosis Originally: Identification of a disease. Now: Used for identifying problems in general. “The diagnosis is poor time management.”

Symptoms Originally: Signs of illness. Now: Used to describe signs of any issue. “The symptoms of burnout are clear.”

Addiction Originally: Compulsive drug use. Now: Used for anything habit-forming. “I’m addicted to this show.”

Obsessed / OCD Originally: Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now: Often used casually to describe intense interest or perfectionism.

Depressed / Depression Originally: Clinical mental health condition. Now: Used to describe temporary sadness or disappointment.

Bowling for Soup, Sh*t, Dollars and Columbine

The band Bowling for Soup's name originates from a Steve Martin comedy routine, specifically a skit called "Bowling for Shit" from his 1978 album, "Wild and Crazy Guy." 

The band, formed in 1994, initially considered using Martin's title but ultimately opted for Bowling for Soup as a more family-friendly alternative. The "Bowling for Soup" name stuck, despite being initially intended as a joke, because the band couldn't agree on anything better.

Bowling for Soup formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Gary Wiseman (drums, percussion), and Rob Felicetti (bass, backing vocals, acoustic guitar). The band is best known for its singles "Girl All the Bad Guys Want", "1985", "Almost", "Punk Rock 101", and "High School Never Ends". The band is also known for performing the theme song for the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb, which is a bit surprising as most of their albums carry warning labels for language.  Reddick is the only original member as of 2025

Steve Martin was playing off an actual TV game show called Bowling for Dollars in which people could bowl to win cash and prizes. The show was popular in the 1960s and peaked in the 1970s. It was unique in that it differed from most TV game shows of the time, which were taped in either New York or Hollywood and broadcast nationally. Unlike these shows, Bowling for Dollars was produced by local TV stations and featured contestants from the immediate area. The show was actually a franchise, created by Bert Claster of Claster Television, also the creator of Romper Room. Episodes of Bowling for Dollars were taped either in a local bowling alley or on a pair of bowling lanes constructed right inside the TV studio. The show reached its heyday in the 1970s. 

Bowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, produced, directed, and narrated by Michael Moore. The documentary film explores what Moore suggests are the primary causes for the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and other acts of gun violence. 

The film's title refers to the story that the two students responsible for the Columbine High School massacre attended a school bowling class at 6:00 AM on the day they committed the attacks at school. Later investigations showed that this was based on mistaken recollections, and it was concluded that they were absent from school on the day the attack took place.

A critical and commercial success, the film brought Moore international attention as a rising filmmaker and won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature, a special 55th Anniversary Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, and the César Award for Best Foreign Film. The film is widely considered one of the greatest documentary films of all time.

Oasis

Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher      Photo: Will Fresch | CC BY-SA 2.0 

I see that the troubled band Oasis is back on tour this summer. Lead vocalist Liam Gallagher and his brother, guitarist Noel Gallagher, are quite a story. 

But first, a bit about the band name origin. The band was originally called The Rain and only featured one of the Gallagher brothers (Liam on vocals). Noel later joined, and it was then suggested by Liam that they change their name to Oasis.

Noel had a tour poster for the band Inspiral Carpets hanging on his bedroom wall. One venue for a gig was the Swindon Oasis Leisure Centre. Noel liked the word "Oasis" because it evoked a sense of a welcoming, idyllic place, which fit the band's aspirations at the time for their music.

But their history is hardly idyllic. The Gallagher brothers' tumultuous relationship is well-documented. Liam's on-stage antics often clashed with Noel's perfectionism, leading to heated arguments and physical altercations.

Noel, the primary songwriter, wanted to push the band's sound in new directions, while Liam preferred a more traditional rock approach.

Both brothers struggled with substance abuse, which further strained their relationship and impacted the band's performances.

Oasis's touring schedule and recording process were often marked by chaos, with canceled shows, delayed album releases, and reports of on-tour substance abuse.

In 2009, Noel Gallagher officially left Oasis due to "irreconcilable differences" with his brother. The remaining band members attempted to continue under the name Beady Eye, but ultimately disbanded in 2014. The brothers' feud continued even after the band's breakup, with both sides engaging in public jabs and insults. 

However, in recent years, they've seemed to call a truce, with Liam and Noel reportedly having a more cordial relationship.

Despite their internal struggles, Oasis released several critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, including (What's the Story) Morning Glory? and Be Here Now, and a bigger catalog of collections and remastered albums.

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath in 1970. Left to right: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne
Photo: Warner Bros. Records -  Public Domain, Link

Black Sabbath was an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. Their albums, Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), and Master of Reality (1971) helped define the genre. The band had multiple line-up changes following Osbourne's departure in 1979, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history.

Previous names for the band had been the dreadful Polka Tulk Blues Band (either from a brand of talcum powder or an Indian/Pakistani clothing shop) Mythology and Earth. They changed to Black Sabbath in 1969. 

The traditional meaning of "sabbath" is of a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday.

The band clearly was embracing the supposed annual midnight meeting of witches with the Devil and so a "black sabbath" suggests a "holy" day of witchcraft. 

They distinguished themselves through occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and tuned-down guitars. 

 

The band discovered that there was another English group named Earth, so they made another name change. They saw the 1963 horror film Black Sabbath starring Boris Karloff on the marquee across from their rehearsal space. Osbourne and Butler wrote the lyrics for a song called "Black Sabbath", which they say was inspired not so much by the film but by the work of horror and adventure-story writer Dennis Wheatley. Butler also claimed that he had a vision of a black silhouetted figure standing at the foot of his bed. To further add to the occult of the song, it uses the musical tritone known as "the Devil's Interval."

The band's music, appearance, and lyrics were atypical of 1969, when music was more reflective of the 60s flower power, folk/rock, and peace & love hippie culture. 

Black Sabbath has sold over 70 million records worldwide, and are one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time. 

 

Of Paranoid, Rolling Stone magazine said it "changed music forever," calling the band "the Beatles of heavy metal," and Time magazine called Paranoid "the birthplace of heavy metal," placing it in their Top 100 Albums of All Time. 

MTV placed Black Sabbath at number one on their Top Ten Heavy Metal Bands. VH1 ranked Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" the number one song on their 40 Greatest Metal Songs countdown.

 

Ozzy  -  2010 

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025) adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness." In 2005 Osbourne was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame both as a solo artist and as a member of Black Sabbath.In 2006, he was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler, and then in 2024, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career.

 

By 2025, he had lost his ability to walk due to Parkinson's disease. Osbourne died unexpectedly at his home in Buckinghamshire on 22 July 2025, aged 76, surrounded by his family. His death occurred 17 days after his final live performance at the Back to the Beginning farewell concert.

Sports Idioms

Sports provide us with lots of idioms that are used in sports and sometimes in non-sporting situations.

To "call an audible" in American football means to improvise, often in the spur of the moment. The term is based on the practice of changing a play right before the play is run by the quarterback yelling some coded message to the team.

To "hit below the belt" comes to us from boxing. It means to act unfairly or unscrupulously, in disregard of the rules. To hit an opponent below their belt is an illegal move in boxing. Outside the ring, people use it to mean anything said or done that is a "low blow" and unfair.

If someone says that "the gloves are off," they could be borrowing from boxing or hockey. In boxing, fighting without gloves and bare fists is dangerous. Similarly, in ice hockey, when the gloves are off or player "drop the gloves," it means they have engaged in a fight, throwing off their gloves to punch with bare knuckles. This term is used both figuratively and literally. If two businessmen negotiating say "the gloves are off," it means that anything goes and they expect tough negotiations.