The author describes his experiences as a foreign resident in the British NHS, where he encountered English idioms, euphemisms and colloquialisms used in clinical practice. An example is the phrase 'spent a penny', which the patient used to refer to urination, which the author initially mistook for a financial remark. The article emphasizes that these language images are not part of medical terminology, but are common in everyday communication between patients and health professionals. The author states that misunderstandings can arise when doctors understand words but not their idiomatic meaning. Nurses and colleagues often help explain such terms to new team members or foreign doctors. The narrative points to the need to be aware of cultural and linguistic nuances when providing care in a multicultural environment.