septic

Everyday

1. (of a wound or body part) Infected with germs so it becomes red, swollen, painful and full of pus. tree →
2. A septic tank is an underground tank where waste from toilets is broken down by bacteria, used by homes not joined to the main sewers. tree →
3. (Australia, UK, slang) A septic is an American; it comes from rhyming slang «septic tank» = «Yank». It can sound mocking. tree →

In the lessons

In health lessons «go septic» warns pupils to clean cuts and splinters; in science and geography septic tanks show how countryside homes deal with waste. In Australian talk «a septic» or «seppo» is a jokey, sometimes rude word for an American. Phrases: «go septic», «a septic finger», «a septic tank».

Examples

• Clean that cut, or it might go septic. tree →
• His toe went septic after he stood on a rusty nail. tree →
• The farmhouse has a septic tank instead of a sewer pipe. tree →
• A truck comes every few years to empty the septic tank. tree →
• The doctor gave her cream for a septic insect bite. tree →
• (Australia, slang) "Who's the bloke with the accent?" "Some septic on holiday." tree →
• Wash your hands before you touch a blister so it doesn't turn septic. tree →

Note

«Septic» goes with «sepsis». Opposite: «antiseptic» (stopping germs), as in antiseptic cream. Do not confuse with «sceptic» (UK spelling of skeptic, a doubter), which sounds like «SKEP-tic». The slang sense is not polite to say to an American.