old timer's disease
English
WOTD – 20 September 2023
Etymology
From old timer + -’s + disease, from the fact that the disease disproportionately affects older people, and because of the phonetic similarity between Alzheimer’s and old timer’s.[1]
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌəʊl(d)ˌtaɪməz dɪˈziːz/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌoʊl(d)ˌtaɪməɹz dəˈziz/
Audio (General American): (file) - Rhymes: -iːz
- Hyphenation: old tim‧er's dis‧ease
Noun
old timer's disease (uncountable)
- (neurology, pathology, slang, sometimes derogatory or humorous) Eggcorn of Alzheimer's disease (“a disorder involving loss of mental functions resulting from brain tissue changes”).
Alternative forms
Related terms
Translations
eggcorn of Alzheimer's disease — see Alzheimer's disease
References
- ^ Compare “old-timer’s disease, n.” under “old-timer, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2022.
Further reading
- Alzheimer's disease on Wikipedia.Wikipedia