General
hasselhoff
What does hasselhoff mean?
ER shorthand for the patient whose injury comes with a backstory so improbable it has to be true — or at least entertaining. Named after David Hasselhoff, who allegedly turned up at A&E having hit his head on a chandelier while shaving. Coined by London medics and recorded in mid-2000s slang glossaries.
"Triage just sent through a proper Hasselhoff — laceration to the scalp, claims a parrot did it."
Origin
British emergency-medicine slang, traced to a 2006 incident involving the actor David Hasselhoff and a shaving accident with a chandelier.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hasselhoff mean?
In medical slang, a Hasselhoff is a patient who shows up with a bizarre injury and an even more bizarre story to explain how it happened.
How do you use Hasselhoff in a sentence?
We had a real Hasselhoff in the ER last night — you won't believe how he says it happened.
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