As the song asks, “Are you ready?”  Because ready or not, here we are again, on the cusp of a brand new year.  (Do I say that every year?)

2018 certainly provided an excess of comment-worthy events.  But I’ve made it a practice to limit the use of four-letter words, including the word “wall,” on my web site.  Therefore, I will let the pundits battle it out.

Instead, I turn my attention to lists.  Retrospectives and Top Ten lists abound at year’s end, hoping to encapsulate all that’s occurred in the past 365 days in ranked order.  So what better time for me to present my personal favorite, my annual year-end wrap-up of the Top Ten dumbest new drug names of 2018.

Given the abundance of Qs, Xs, and Zs in the labels, my guess is that Big Pharma hired teams of demented Scrabble players seeking new and bizarre ways to use their high-scoring letters.

So while we still have health care, let’s be prepared.  Take the test below and discover how much you know about the latest pharmaceuticals.  Even if you can’t pronounce them.

Xospata

  1. The leader of the Mexican revolution
  2. Hugs and kisses for Pata
  3. The name of a baseball team reflected in a mirror
  4. Oh no! Not this again!

Takhzyro

  1. The latest Japanese sushi roll
  2. Team Takh’s losing score
  3. The temperature on the coldest day on record in Takh
  4. Only eight more to go

Auvi-Q

  1. Auvi cooked on an outdoor grill
  2. A cotton swab used to clean out your auvis
  3. The 2019 update of the German car Auvi-P
  4. All of the above

Xofluza

  1. More hugs and kisses, this time for Fluza
  2. A Tic-Tac-Toe game for sluts
  3. Azulfox spelled backwards
  4. A, maybe C

Palynziq

  1. Sarah’s long lost uncle
  2. The era following Jurassic
  3. Ynziq’s BFF
  4. None of the above

Yupelri

  1. I agree with Elri
  2. A city in Michigan
  3. One pointing a finger at Pelri
  4. Either Elri or Pelri

Lumoxiti

  1. A shiny Italian pasta
  2. A clumsy oaf named Iti
  3. A xity on the banks of the Lumo River
  4. Give me a break!

Qbrexza

  1. A stick used in a game of Brexza
  2. Q & A re England’s departure from the EU
  3. A high-scoring Scrabble combination
  4. I’m getting a headache!

Jivi

  1. Lively dance music
  2. A word that follows hivi
  3. Jon Voight’s initials
  4. All of the above

Nuzyra

  1. A recently settled city
  2. A question posed to Zyra in Yiddish
  3. A meddling Egyptian sun god
  4. Are we there yet?

And honorable mention goes to:  Xerava, Revcovi, Crystiva, Tpoxx, Xerava, and Zemdri.

From my family to yours, I want to wish you all a happy, and most important, healthy New Year.  Once again, I gush with thank-yous for your encouraging comments and continued support.  I couldn’t possibly be having this much fun without you.  And, by the way, don’t forget to check out my brand new book:  How to Complain When There’s Nothing to Complain About. It raises whining to an art form.  Available from Amazon at www.amazon.com/Complain-When-Theres-Nothing-About/dp/1947708236/as

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