That's Nurse Motherf#@ker to you.

[Mark D]

I am an Emergency Department Nurse. One shift a drunken patient repeatedly called me motherf#@ker throughout his stay. I finally told him "that's Nurse Motherf#@ker to you. I didn't get a degree to just be called Motherf#@ker." I said it loud enough that the whole unit heard me. It has become a legend of sorts. My wife tried to buy vanity plates for my car that said NURSEMF. However the censors said no. I think this would make a good tattoo. Any translation help is appreciated.

Mark

 

[Pacifica]

I'm afraid that may be untranslatable into Latin. You can wait a bit and see if anyone has an idea for an adaptation (I don't right now) but in any case don't expect anything too exact.

 

[Mark D]

I don't expect an exact translation. Something that would make a Centurion chuckle will suffice.

 

[Pacifica]

While there's no Latin insult that means exactly the word you used, it could be replaced by another one. I'm thinking of one in particular which means "d*k s*er" (those asterisks feel ridiculous, but I'm applying my own advice and being careful as to the mods' potential reaction) which is found in some Pompeian graffiti.

A big problem, however, is how to translate "nurse", for which the Romans had no word. The closest I can think of is the word for physician... I suppose it may be that there's a neo-Latin word for "nurse", but I don't know.

 

[Mark D]

We will see what the forum gives us. Should be fun. Thanx

 

[rothbard]

This excellent site gives the following alternatives: nosocomus, attested in the Justinian Code, infirmiarius from DuCange, and aegrorum minister in the Lexicon Recentis Latinitatis. Below is the full entry:

med nurse / Krankenfleger(in): nosocomus (v. nosocoma) [Cod. Just.]; infirmarius+ (v. infirmaria+) [DuCange] (Helf.) ]] aegrorum minister (v. ministra) (LRL) ]] nosocoma (Alb. I) ]] valetudinaria (eccl.) ]] famula (or ancilla) infirmorum (Lev.)