Helo vs. chopper.
As far as I can remember, I've never heard a helicopter called a "helo." But it's alllll over the fanfiction I read.
Is it a British term? I mean, I work somewhat removed from, but nevertheless constantly around, helicopters, and we either call them "helicopters," or we refer to them by the company name -- "We've got an Aerocare coming in." But I would not even notice, I don't think, if someone called them "choppers." I might think it was a bit Army-ish, but otherwise, nah.
But nobody says, "We have a helo coming in."
Just wondering. It...annoys, at times.
While I'm on the subject, why does everyone seem to think hospitals stink? Now the ER/ED (it seems fashionable today to refer to it as the Emergency Department, which, fa fa, whatever) can often be somewhat smelly, and there are times when you can smell various, hmm, things. Of course. But the overwhelming consensus seems to be that hospitals reek of disinfectants, rubbing alcohol, perhaps other arcane substances best not named.
If you walk in the front entrance for our hospital, you will be greeted with a strong aroma of...Starbucks. Our hospital lobby smells WONDERFUL. But even up on the floors (and there are ten of them in the south tower, seven in the east tower, and five in the heart center area - there was a west tower but it's slated to be demolished soon, and there never was a north tower), I mean, I won't pretend it smells like roses and cotton candy, but the clinical smell so often attributed to it is simply not always there. Inside a room, the waterless disinfectant smells like alcohol, naturally, but you don't smell it unless someone's just pumped some out. And... Huh.
My theory is that hospitals and especially doctor's offices once DID smell quite clinical. I remember my doctor when I was a kid, with the tools standing in big canisters of rubbing alcohol, and the rooms did smell clinical. Floor cleaners smelled stronger then, etc.
So my theory is that this ubiquitous clinical odor is a memory, really. It just sort of throws me when I read about it and think, "Man, I work in a hospital, and I remember the ER stinking from time to time, but the main hospital? Mostly, huh, Starbucks, coffee makers, maybe some room fresheners here and there. But mostly just smells vaguely clean and featureless." Cleansers don't reek these days, usually. Go into a surgery suite and I'm sure it does smell quite clinical, but one would both expect and WANT that to be so, right? But when you walk in the door of our hospital, you mostly think, "COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE GIMMMEEEEEE."
Or maybe that's just me. *ahem*
PS: Trust me, these comments are in NO way related to just a single story. It's a lot of stories, the vast bulk of which I have deeply enjoyed, helos and medicinal smells included.
Is it a British term? I mean, I work somewhat removed from, but nevertheless constantly around, helicopters, and we either call them "helicopters," or we refer to them by the company name -- "We've got an Aerocare coming in." But I would not even notice, I don't think, if someone called them "choppers." I might think it was a bit Army-ish, but otherwise, nah.
But nobody says, "We have a helo coming in."
Just wondering. It...annoys, at times.
While I'm on the subject, why does everyone seem to think hospitals stink? Now the ER/ED (it seems fashionable today to refer to it as the Emergency Department, which, fa fa, whatever) can often be somewhat smelly, and there are times when you can smell various, hmm, things. Of course. But the overwhelming consensus seems to be that hospitals reek of disinfectants, rubbing alcohol, perhaps other arcane substances best not named.
If you walk in the front entrance for our hospital, you will be greeted with a strong aroma of...Starbucks. Our hospital lobby smells WONDERFUL. But even up on the floors (and there are ten of them in the south tower, seven in the east tower, and five in the heart center area - there was a west tower but it's slated to be demolished soon, and there never was a north tower), I mean, I won't pretend it smells like roses and cotton candy, but the clinical smell so often attributed to it is simply not always there. Inside a room, the waterless disinfectant smells like alcohol, naturally, but you don't smell it unless someone's just pumped some out. And... Huh.
My theory is that hospitals and especially doctor's offices once DID smell quite clinical. I remember my doctor when I was a kid, with the tools standing in big canisters of rubbing alcohol, and the rooms did smell clinical. Floor cleaners smelled stronger then, etc.
So my theory is that this ubiquitous clinical odor is a memory, really. It just sort of throws me when I read about it and think, "Man, I work in a hospital, and I remember the ER stinking from time to time, but the main hospital? Mostly, huh, Starbucks, coffee makers, maybe some room fresheners here and there. But mostly just smells vaguely clean and featureless." Cleansers don't reek these days, usually. Go into a surgery suite and I'm sure it does smell quite clinical, but one would both expect and WANT that to be so, right? But when you walk in the door of our hospital, you mostly think, "COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE GIMMMEEEEEE."
Or maybe that's just me. *ahem*
PS: Trust me, these comments are in NO way related to just a single story. It's a lot of stories, the vast bulk of which I have deeply enjoyed, helos and medicinal smells included.