It is so ubiquitous in the UK as to completely pass me by. Same as in the UK a vasectomy would be called “the snip” without it raisingany particular comment.
Here, too. ‘Jab’ is just a funny way of saying ‘vaccination’. Where I am, I haven’t seen it used in a negative context. FWIW, ‘jab’ for ‘vaccination’ has been around for a very long time. Before COVID, people would have their annual flu shots and say, ‘I’m getting jabbed Friday,’ or ‘I got jabbed yesterday.’
yep, if going on a slightly exotic holiday we might ponder what “jabs” we will need.
Dear God in heaven. This doesn’t even make one molecule of sense to me. Have these people never had a shot in their lives??
Okay, let’s start a movement to call vaccinations “butterfly kisses.”
Or maybe they could be “COVID hickeys,” or “health pokes” or “sweet pricks” or “good hygiene applications” or “the pinprick of life.”
Some of them haven’t. I used to co-lead diabetes support groups and usually every group had at least 25-33% who refused to use insulin for this reason.
Not even a shot in their arm for flu or tetanus or anything?
Geez, insulin needles are like giving yourself a shot with a kitten hair. My late H used 4 a day until he got an insulin pump.
What did type 1 diabetics do if they wouldn’t inject insulin with a needle?
Oo! I like all of those!
They died. At least, my gramma did. She simply couldn’t tolerate needles and developed kidney and heart issues. This was in the Fifties. I really, really wish I could have known her.
Took inadequate oral meds and died.
Presumably for some it’s “couldn’t,” not “wouldn’t.” Phobias are not rational, by definition.
Let’s not do the one I bolded. Way too many possibilities for ribald jokes.
I was thinking that was a benefit of that one. It’s more fun and less scary if your can make ribald jokes about it.
This.
Make getting the vaccine slightly risque and naughty. That’ll bring 'em in. Especially the churchy types.
We’ll know who to blame when the board is overwhelmed by penis puns.
I am also someone who associates the word “jab” with a more violent action, like jabbing a knife or fist. But I also associate it with an insult, i.e. “taking a jab at someone.”
That said, it never bothered me as a term for the shot. It just sounds less formal than “shot,” which is less formal than “vaccine.” Though I admit it also sounds more British to my ears.
Also, all of my 3 jabs have been entirely painless. As in, not even the pain of the shot going in. Sure, there was soreness hours afterwards, but the shot itself was fine, and much quicker than most shots I’ve gotten.
I don’t understand how “jab” gets associated with stabbing as a “more violent action” while “shot” doesn’t get associated with gunshots., which seem even more violent to me.
We use “jab” colloquially in South Africa as well. And by “we” I include the government (“jol” means “party”, as both a verb and noun)
I’m with @MrDibble , and I’m American. I’ve been using “jab” a lot this year in part because “shot” feels violent.
Although, “shot” for vaccine is only used as a noun, not a verb. I get my shots, but no one shoots me. That mitigates the violence some.
When I read “jab” I assume the writer is in the U.K. Meanwhile “shot” brings to mind an aliquot of liquor.
I only use vaccination for the medical injection meant to provide immunity to a specific disease.
That’s mostly how jab is used here as well - “the jab” or similar - “the second jab” or “the Covid jab”, “get the jab”. It’s not often used as a standalone verb, more in the “get/gotten jabbed” compound. Even there, “getting/got the jab” is much more common, I’d say.
Yeah, maybe “shot” sounds less violent to people who drink shots of liquor. It sounds violent to me.
Whereas “jab” is a somewhat obscure word to me outside of its use for vaccinations. So I don’t have a lot of feelings about it.
I posted this news story over in the breaking news thread. I’ll save my comments for here.
We’ve just been Plan B’d in England. But it’s definitely not a lockdown.
People in England are being asked to work from home again if possible and face masks are becoming compulsory in more places, as part of new rules to limit the spread of Omicron.
Vaccine passports will also become compulsory for entry to nightclubs and large venues from next week…
…“It’s not a lockdown, it’s Plan B,” the prime minister told a press conference.
Of course, it’s hard to disagree with any of it. I particularly like that vaccine passports are being used - they work brilliantly in France, down to the level of restaurants and bars - I’d like to see that here as well. And for a government that missed the bus in every other wave, this is all very… timely.
But you know what? Deep down inside I think this is all about: “Oh God, we can’t cancel Christmas - not for a second time!”
Cynical? Me?
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