Sasquatch or Squamous?

The other day I was in the dermatologist's office, and for the life of me, couldn't remember the type of cancer called "squamous."

I stuttered, "It's squa-- squa-- Sasquatch!" Then I burst out laughing, knowing that wasn't the right word, but the only word which filtered to my lips.

As my husband and I walked down the hall at the end of our visit, we could hear the laughter follow us as our PA told the nurses the story of my word substitution.

MyMother's Word Substitutions

My mother would hardly ever get my name on the first call. She'd call me by my brother's name, my sister's name, our cat's name, and then finally -- BINGO! -- my own name. She did this with other words as well.

When our grad school son got his first car, my mother asked him if he was a member of AARP. This threw everyone into a fit of laughter, not knowing where it came from. I, of course, mystery lover of words, figured out that she meant AAA.

When I was in high school, she never liked me going to the public swimming pool because I might get syphilis. Of course, she meant athlete's foot, but it still brings a smile to my face whenever I go near public swimming pools.