Word of the Day: valgus

valgus (n or adj)

Bone deformity; the state of being bowlegged or knock-kneed.

"Oh, I see you have valgus," Dr. Sapirstein said.
"Huh?" said Billy-Bob.
"Your legs."
"What about 'em?"
"They're, uh, perfect for riding your horse I guess, hmmm?"
"Well...yup. I reckon they are good for that. But it doesn't matter now. I lost my job on the ranch, dag burnit."
"Really? Why?"
"I couldn't keep my calves together."
--Leahcim Setag, Strange Loops

My bone deformity is in my left little finger, which I broke in gym class in junior high school. The school nurse thought it was sprained, but it was broken, and I never got it set. When it healed, it was slightly crooked. It still is. It's my one imperfection (other than a weakness for puns).

(Valgus, by the way, is one of the words that the late David Foster Wallace circled in his dictionary.)