English Explanatory Dictionary

Saturday night palsy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Paralysis due to radial nerve compression in the arm, resulting from direct pressure against a firm object.

Word forms

Saturday night palsy

Etymology

Introduced mistakenly as a simplification of saturnine palsy, a complication of lead poisoning which has a similar presentation. Folk etymology associates it with carousing and intoxication on Saturday nights, which causes the individual to fall asleep in unnatural positions, such as on a chair or bed with one arm hanging over the edge.

Related words

night palsy
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