h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A friend of mine (who happens to be a surgeon) told me that he was trained never to say the word "Oops" in the operating room, no matter how severe of a mistake was just made. Instead, they practiced saying the word "There", in a very confident, final tone of voice. The reasoning for this is that they didn't want to worry a patient who was under local anesthetic. Saying "Oops" would certainly do just that, and then they'd have a frantic patient AND a possible medical emergency on their hands. Saying "There" firmly and confidently would make it sound like you had just completed a tricky procedure, inspire confidence in the patient, and still alert the rest of the room that they needed to shift into overdrive.

I've discovered that this also works when fixing someone's computer....

Sounds like quite a cunning strategy!

<BB<

when i worked for a certain well known fast food company we never said oops and often said GOOD CATCH !!

Another thing you probably wouldn't want to hear.
Good Catch
look one hand, off the wall...

When something has gone horribly horribly wrong a good space filling strategy is to say 'I'm just having a good look through the notes here' in a thoughtful way whilst frantically searching your brain for a way out of the mess your in.

Probably not heard during surgery as your patient is unlikely to realise how badly wrong things are as they are most likely unconscience but works well for computer fixers, offices and call centres