Beneath the Stripes:
Tourette's Syndrome from the Tiger’s View
by Darin M.
Bush
"Excellent, Well. You are a Touretter."
Hamlet said these words to Polonius in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”.
Okay, I admit: I changed ‘fish-monger’ to ‘Touretter’. Hamlet, conspiring with
his father’s ghost to avenge his death, is faking having TS/ ADHD/ OCD. Yes, I
am reaching, but watch one of the several movie adaptations of Hamlet, and keep
me in mind. Spooky, huh? Do I have a point that is not tipped in poison? Have I
let you down yet? In the grand tradition of Shakespeare, I would like to
analyze some important TS terms, correcting one and supporting the other.
Shakespeare was, of course, a grand master of English, and
relied on it to entertain and provoke emotion. The TS community must also rely
on language to persuade & educate. We must come to a consensus on how we
talk about TS. George Carlin, another English master, said, “The quality of our
thoughts is only as good as the quality of our language.” Right now, as I see
it, our quality is lacking. Want an example? Here is an easy one: what is the
name of our disorder? Is it Tourette Syndrome? Tourettes Syndrome? Tourettes
Yndrome?
The correct term is ‘Tourette’s syndrome’. I know that very
competent TS professionals have published work listing this disorder’s name
differently. However, grammar is the deciding discipline, not neurology or
psychology. Heck, psychology can not even spell itself correctly; what is with
the ‘p’? Now that is settled, let us look at TS through grammar’s lens.
Tourette’s syndrome is an eponymous possessive, also known as a synthetic
genitive. An eponym is a name from a name, e.g.:
While Shakespeare would approve the use of grammar to settle a
debate, he would also agree that sometimes a new word is required. The Bard
himself is credited with inventing over 300 words. One of my other personas,
The Wordsmith, has invented a few words only to discover they already existed.
While I can not take credit for the word ‘Touretter’, I would like to support
its use. Yes, it is slang, but how many times do you have to say, “Person with
Tourette’s syndrome” before they call him a Touretter? (Thanks to Joan Baez for
accompaniment on the guitar.) By coincidence, the word rolls off the tongue. I
like it.
Some people want to fight the word. I say, fight the bigotry
against Touretters. Take the word in context, and remember to use your sense of
humor to take the edge off of, well, everything. I leave by example; please do
not refer to me as a Touretter. In the future, please refer to me as a
‘stillness-challenged’ individual. Just like Hamlet.
Questions? Suggestions? Arguments? Call me names
at the Tourette Tiger
Copyright 2005 by Darin M. Bush