Minimalist poet, minimalist lifestyle

It sounds like something a plumber might use, but it's actually a prescription I've just picked up from the chemist; it's for measuring my breathing capacity.

I went to see the nurse at the surgery this morning because I've had this annoying cough for five weeks now and really need to get it cleared up before the hayfever season starts.

She was very reassuring, but nonetheless still told that there is currently no treatment available and so I'll have to see her again in a fortnight's time and take my results with me.

Here's a short list of words and phrases which have been replaced since I was at school.

An Alsatian dog is now called a German shepherd. I think the term 'Alsatian' was only temporary and used because of the two world wars with Germany. However, the Second World War had ended nearly thirty years before I was at school.

A jungle is now a rainforest.

A queer is now a gay.

A Gypsey is now called a Roma or Romany.

A mongol now has Down's syndrome.

Black people in England first became coloured, and I think they now prefer to be called Afro-Caribbean.

New pence are now no longer described as new.

Cripples became handicapped, but are now disabled.

There are probably quite a few more examples; but this is just the list that I've thought of as I'm typing this post.