I came up with this week’s topic while at my friend’s house. She had surgery last week and one of our other friends organized a two week schedule to take food to her as she had no one to take care of her in the home. It was my day on the 22nd. I stayed and ate with her and we got into a discussion about pain meds and over the counter versus narcotics. So, I started thinking about the origin of the word narcotic (because I’m cool like that).
Narcotic comes from the Greek word for numbness, nark.
It’s interesting to me how the word narcotic and the word narcolepsy (falling asleep unexpectedly) both have the same root word and mean stupor and lethargy. Most people I know say narcotics make them sleepy which would be consistent with these two words coming from the same root. I think I’ve talked here about the phrase paradoxical effect before which is the opposite of the expected reaction. With me, narcotics make me wired. It’s very hard for me to take them as I can’t sleep at all when I take one, so they have the opposite effect.
A narco is a slang term for a law enforcement officer who enforces the drug laws. Now, if you had a narco who was on narcotics who had a narcolepsy problem, that would be something, wouldn’t it?
Jillian Chantal 
You are cool like that LOL. Thanks for sharing where your mind took you. Fun post. Not fun to have the paradoxical effect though.
By: Darlene on March 23, 2012
at 9:20 am
Thanks! My mind sometimes takes me to scary places! 😛
By: Jillian Chantal on March 23, 2012
at 9:26 am
Lol a bunch. Yep, I love where your mind goes. Hey, the sunshine is out here. Been a while since we’ve seen it. It bodes well for the weekend. Enjoy yours!
By: Laurie Ryan on March 23, 2012
at 10:38 am
Thanks Laurie! We have terrible storms here. Enjoy your sunshine. I plan to rest and rejuvenate.
By: Jillian Chantal on March 23, 2012
at 11:31 am
Jillian, I had to laugh at this one. Not so much the subject matter as the working of your mind. Someday we’re going to meet in person. Will look forward to that time.
By: Lavada Dee on March 23, 2012
at 11:41 am
I’m looking forward to meeting you too. My kind makes lots of leaps and never shuts off. Lol.
By: Jillian Chantal on March 23, 2012
at 12:02 pm
I’m curious about that kind of stuff, too. I want to know the origin of the word flea market.
LindaC
By: LindaC on March 25, 2012
at 2:27 pm
Lol. I’ll see what I can do for you there, Linda.
By: Jillian Chantal on March 25, 2012
at 3:13 pm