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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004Abscess, boil, or cyst?
Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word was restricted to infected areas near the teeth. I don't find enough information on the three words in my dictionaries or in Encarta to clearly differentiate them in my mind, although I doubt if I'd confuse a boil or abscess with a cyst, but I lack a medical dictionary.  SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net >Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a >boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word >was restricted to infected areas near the teeth. I don't find enough >information on the three words in my dictionaries or in Encarta to >clearly differentiate them in my mind, although I doubt if I'd confuse >a boil or abscess with a cyst, but I lack a medical dictionary. Why not have a carbuncle? They sound so much more satisfying. -- Ross Howard >>Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a >>boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Why not have a carbuncle? They sound so much more satisfying. I may try for them next time, but one boil is enough for now. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net Charles Riggs filted: >Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a >boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word >was restricted to infected areas near the teeth. I don't find enough >information on the three words in my dictionaries or in Encarta to >clearly differentiate them in my mind, although I doubt if I'd confuse >a boil or abscess with a cyst, but I lack a medical dictionary. If I'm reading the details at m-w correctly, all are accumulations of pus, but there are specific distinguishing characteristics...a cyst has a container (the sac that was once the now-strangled sebaceous gland, for example), and a boil has a hard core.... It would seem that all boils are cysts, and all cysts abscesses, but the subsets don't work the other way....r In our last episode, <ju3v00l07aq1oskdi4b47h817p69746u2u@4ax.com>, the lovely and talented Charles Riggs broadcast on alt.usage.english: > Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a > boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word > was restricted to infected areas near the teeth. I don't find enough > information on the three words in my dictionaries or in Encarta to > clearly differentiate them in my mind, although I doubt if I'd confuse > a boil or abscess with a cyst, but I lack a medical dictionary. In your case I believe it would be called a "brain tumor." SignatureLars Eighner -finger for geek code- eighner@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/ I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time. --Jack London >In our last episode, ><ju3v00l07aq1oskdi4b47h817p69746u2u@4ax.com>, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >In your case I believe it would be called a "brain tumor." In yours, the case of an overly enthusiastic partner the night before, abrading your butt. But boys will be boys, right Lars? SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net > Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a > boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word > was restricted to infected areas near the teeth. I don't find enough > information on the three words in my dictionaries or in Encarta to > clearly differentiate them in my mind, although I doubt if I'd confuse > a boil or abscess with a cyst, but I lack a medical dictionary. I had high hopes this was a new feature to replace the old DOS Abort, Retry, Fail? IME, boils are pus-filled swellings and abscesses are cavities filled with pus. There being more cavities in the gums, abscesses are more common there. -- John Dean Oxford De-frag to reply > > Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a > > boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > IME, boils are pus-filled swellings and abscesses are cavities filled with > pus. There being more cavities in the gums, abscesses are more common there. Just have a doctor explain the difference between diverticulosis and diverticulitis. There would be no further confusion about abscesses. > > > Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a > > > boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Just have a doctor explain the difference between diverticulosis and > diverticulitis. Aw, that's easy. One is "diverticulum disease" (there's hernia-sacs in the gut) and the other is inflammation of the d. Adrian >> > Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a >> > boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >Just have a doctor explain the difference between diverticulosis and >diverticulitis. There would be no further confusion about abscesses. Much as I'd like to expand my medical knowledge that way, I'd prefer to hang on to my 30 bucks. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net >> Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a >> boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >IME, boils are pus-filled swellings and abscesses are cavities filled with >pus. There being more cavities in the gums, abscesses are more common there. That sounds reasonable. Still, I don't understand why the doctor immediately popped out with 'That's an abscess' after I asked him to look at my boil. It has, to me anyway, all the characteristics of a boil. By the way, it is less swollen today, but redder and even more painful. The antibiotic I'm taking to rid myself of the bronchitis I had is also having the predicted effect on the bocess, it appears. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net > Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a > boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word > was restricted to infected areas near the teeth. I don't find enough > information on the three words in my dictionaries or in Encarta to > clearly differentiate them in my mind, although I doubt if I'd confuse > a boil or abscess with a cyst, but I lack a medical dictionary. Any kind of pus-filled cavity caused by an infection is an abscess. A boil is particularly an abscess in the skin, but it is a popular term, not a technical one. So you are both right. (A single boil is also called a furuncle, and a susceptibility to frequent boils is furunculosis; a cluster of furuncles that have undertaken a merger is also called a carbuncle. Boils on your butt, caused by overwork of the Sitzfleisch, have a particular name: pilonidal cysts. But that's probably more than you wanted to know.) SignatureChris Green >> Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a >> boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >caused by overwork of the Sitzfleisch, have a particular name: >pilonidal cysts. But that's probably more than you wanted to know.) Not at all. I want to know where my pilonid is, and whether size matters. -- Ross Howard >> Now I would have called the highly painful red swelling on my butt a >> boil, but the doctor tells me it's an abscess. I had thought that word [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >boil is particularly an abscess in the skin, but it is a popular term, >not a technical one. So you are both right. Thank you. Now I'm happier. >(A single boil is also called a furuncle, and a susceptibility to >frequent boils is furunculosis; a cluster of furuncles that have >undertaken a merger is also called a carbuncle. Boils on your butt, >caused by overwork of the Sitzfleisch, have a particular name: >pilonidal cysts. But that's probably more than you wanted to know.) Less actually, for I don't know what Sitzfleischs are, let alone how they work. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net "Charles Riggs" <CHANGE@aircom.net> wrote... > >(A single boil is also called a furuncle, and a susceptibility to > >frequent boils is furunculosis; a cluster of furuncles that have [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Less actually, for I don't know what Sitzfleischs are, let alone how > they work. You're the butt of a rather cheeky joke, Charles. Matti >"Charles Riggs" <CHANGE@aircom.net> wrote... >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >You're the butt of a rather cheeky joke, Charles. If you think so, I suggest you reread what Mr Green wrote. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net > >"Charles Riggs" <CHANGE@aircom.net> wrote... > >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > If you think so, I suggest you reread what Mr Green wrote. Puns ain't what they used to be. In the Yinglish I've picked up over the years, "sitzfleisch" (ZITZ-flaysh) does not have the literal meaning "buttocks," but is used metaphorically to indicate the patience to tolerate (sit through) something long and (usually) boring. "I'd go see *Waterworld*, but I don't have the sitzfleisch." "Ants in the pants" is a near antonym. SignatureBob Lieblich No ants in these pants >>> "Charles Riggs" <CHANGE@aircom.net> wrote... >>>> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > *Waterworld*, but I don't have the sitzfleisch." "Ants in the > pants" is a near antonym. Now I'm hearing Cher: Abs-cess, boil or cyst We hear it from the people of the town -- John Dean Oxford De-frag to reply > In the Yinglish I've picked up over the years, "sitzfleisch" > (ZITZ-flaysh) does not have the literal meaning "buttocks," but is > used metaphorically to indicate the patience to tolerate (sit > through) something long and (usually) boring. "I'd go see > *Waterworld*, but I don't have the sitzfleisch." "Ants in the > pants" is a near antonym. That would be "shpilkes". SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |The skinny models whose main job is 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |to display clothes aren't hired for Palo Alto, CA 94304 |their sex appeal. They're hired |for their resemblance to a kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com |coat-hanger. (650)857-7572 | Peter Moylan http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ >> >"Charles Riggs" <CHANGE@aircom.net> wrote... >> >> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >*Waterworld*, but I don't have the sitzfleisch." "Ants in the >pants" is a near antonym. I see. I discounted the possibility there'd be a pun hidden in a paragraph containing four strange words, three of them being perfectly valid medical terms I learned once I looked them up. I should be more alert for such oddities, I suppose. SignatureCharles Riggs Email address: chriggs¦at¦eircom¦dot¦net |
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