the.com/coroner
The only doctor whose patients always skip the small talk.
means An official — usually a doctor or legal officer — who investigates deaths that are sudden, violent, or unexplained to determine their cause.
from Goes back to the Anglo-Norman 'coroner,' meaning an officer of the crown — rooted in Latin 'corona,' meaning crown. The original coroner's job wasn't autopsies at all; it was protecting the monarch's financial interests, including claiming property and fines tied to deaths and legal cases. Over centuries the role narrowed from 'the crown's man' to 'the crown's man who shows up when someone dies,' until the crown faded away entirely and only the death investigation stuck.
- job requirement
- in some places, not even a medical degree
- origin
- medieval officer who protected the crown's financial interests
- verdict power
- can legally rule a death before any trial