Probably every profession has its own inside jokes. Ones that only people with similar jobs can understand. Audiology is no different. Some of the jokes are related to commonly used terms, while others are about the profession in general. Cartoons are common, showing the structures of the ear as lively little creatures misbehaving. Lots of cartoons showing people who answer another person‘s question incorrectly, but with a funny reply, because they don’t ear them right. Even cartoons about hearing aids.
Huh?
- When we tell people what we do for a living. Most people react with “huh?” Sometimes it’s hard to tell if they really don’t know what an Audiologist is, or if they are being funny, pretending they can’t hear. If they lean forward in an exaggerated posture and put their hands behind their ear, it’s usually a cue that they are joking.
Intensity
- Intensity is how loud sounds are. In Audiology we talk about intensity and how loud sounds need to be before a person can hear them. The unit of measurement is the decibel, abbreviated dB. I can remember seeing a T-shirt at a convention. It had a cartoon drawing of a man who looks like William Shakespeare. On the back it said, “to dB or not to dB…. That is the question”.
Hertz
- Hertz is the unit of measurement for frequency of sound. It tells us the pitch of a sound. Hertz is abbreviated as Hz. A common phrase seen on Audiology shirts is: “Audiologists do it with frequency and intensity until it Hz”.
Tinnitus
- Tinnitus is a ringing in the ear. Only the person who has it can hear it. This Christmas I saw several coffee mugs listed for sale. They said, “Sleigh bells ring, wait… that’s just my tinnitus”.
Hearing Aids
- You might have heard this one. “An elderly couple are in church. The wife leans over and whispers to her husband, “I just let out a long, silent fart. What should I do?” The husband replies, “First off, replace the batteries in your hearing aid!”
- In the movie “Sister Act” released in 1992, While Whoopi Goldberg’s character was directing the choir of nuns, she had to stomp on the floor to get the elderly nun’s attention who was playing the piano and yelled at her to check her battery.
Everyone likes a chuckle from time to time. And it’s good to poke fun at ourselves occasionally, it keeps us grounded. I like scrolling through various Audiology Facebook groups and reading the jokes. Sometimes a good laugh is the best way to end the day. That’s just one of the reasons why I love being an Audiologist.