If a British Doctor Invites You to ‘Surgery,’ Should You Be Worried?

Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire URN:6406616 (Press Association via AP Images)

Surgery. A&E. Gorked. These are some of the words and phrases a visitor may overhear at a hospital in the United Kingdom and that may strike non-British ears as strange, scary, or hilarious. Doctors and nurses the world over have their own slang and lingo, including the medical teams you’ll watch in action on 24 Hours in the ER, a compelling behind-the-scenes look at one of London’s busiest Emergency Rooms at King’s College Hospital. To help our non-British friends follow the show, BBC America has put together a cheat sheet to essential hospital slang and lingo, with some tongue-in-cheek explanations. Think of this (hopefully entertaining) glossary as 14 vital hospital terms, 14 awkward situations avoided.

24 Hours in the ER premieres Tuesday, September 27 at 9/8c on BBC America.

FIRST: Surgery vs. Doctor’s office