Sphygmomanometer?! Re-DONK-ulous!

It's only Monday and already I was introduced to two new(ish) words ...

While hanging around after work with a friend and her co-workers, I was privy to a brainstorming session, in which they were trying to decide on a graphic for a story they were working on for the following morning's show.

I guess the subject of images came up - particularly regarding the blood pressure cuff doctors and nurses will use on patients to check their blood pressure - because before I know it, my friend Kristy says, "It's called a sphygmomanometer."

(Yeah, I know. I didn't know that was the official name for it, either. Don't even ask me to try and say it.)

We all turned to her and blinked, and then proceeded to mangle the word just trying to pronounce it.

And then after that, we teased her for a few minutes. Yes, we were all incredibly mature.

Earlier this evening, when I got home, I mentioned it to my mom. Being a former registered nurse, she had to point out to me that a sphygmomanometer isn't just the blood pressure cuff we all know and love. There's another part attached to it that's actually the tongue-twisting term in question. So apparently my friend was kinda right.

The other word came up, while a co-worker was talking about something, and then he said, "That's redonkulous!"

This is probably the second time I've heard it in a week. And at the risk of sounding really unhip and old, when something is redonkulous, does that mean it's more than ridiculous? Or is it something that's just so bonkers and ridiculous at the same time, that neither word will really quite do?

I just don't want to be the one who gets laughed and pointed at for using it in the wrong context. 'Cause then you know what follows. That's right - high-waisted pants, sweaters with iron-on images of wolves on the front, and white socks with my shoes. Nuh-uh. Not me.