Everyone everywhere gets sick some time or another. Luckily, most of us get better too. Subsequently, every language has its own phrases for talking about sickness. I was wiped out by sickness all spring break, so I had the chance to think about how we speak of sickness and health in English. Hence, this week’s blog is all about idioms that you can use when you unavoidably get sick and happily get better.
I’m changing up the blog format to use these phrases in context rather than individual tidbits. If anyone has a comment or thought about which format is more beneficial for your language learning, I would love to hear it!
Idioms in Context
In Sickness
Colleges are sickness microcosms; every little bug, cold, or flu is floating around the halls with every sneeze, sniffle and touch all year long. When I first started teaching, I caught pretty much everything going around, but over time, I learned some strategies to keep the sickness at bay. Nonetheless, at least once a semester, I come down with something. Unfortunately for all my spring break plans, that time was this week when I was sick as a dog or like they say in the UK, sick as a parrot. Not feeling like myself, I was not able to grade, write, or play as I had desired because of feeling like death warmed over. While I didn’t have a frog in my throat, I was certainly under the weather all week long. Luckily, it was spring break, so I was able to spend the week in bed with cold medicine and Netflix.
In Health
Now, I am on the road to recovery, slowly getting back on my feet. I’m still coughing and run down, so I’m not yet in ship-shape. Mr. C had this particularly nasty bug first, and based on his experience, I expect it will be at least another week before I am truly fit as a fiddle. After two weeks of being sick himself, his health is still not the picture of good condition. Regardless, classes resume on Monday, and I’ve got a lot of grading to get done by then, so right as rain sooner rather than later. Hopefully, with some more rest and lots of cold medicine and chicken soup, I will get a clean bill of health and back to the top of my game before I know it!
Idioms Meanings
In Sickness
sick as a dog or (sick as a parrot – the UK only) – can be used to express feeling very sick, often nauseous. As fun as the phrase sick as a parrot is, in the US, we only use sick as a dog.
not feeling like myself – can be used for physically ill or emotional upset.
feeling (or looking) like death warmed over – can be used when feeling particularly bad physical or when looking awful.
frog in my throat – can be used when one is having trouble speaking because of illness.
under the weather – can be used to express not feeling well, usually refers to physical well being
everything going around – usually refers to a contagion like cold or flu because they are in the air, on surfaces, and in the general area.
keep the sickness at bay – can be used not only for avoiding sickness, but also many things can be kept at bay which means held off or kept away from oneself. Another typical application is to keep someone at bay.
come down with something – can be used to express getting sick.
In Health
road to recovery – can be used not just used for recovering from a physical illness, but this term is often also used for emotional distress or addiction.
getting back on my feet – can be used not just for recovering from a physical illness, but this term is also used for financial recovery from a loss as well.
run down – can be used when one is feeling tired or ill.
ship-shape – can be used when one is in the best physical or emotional condition.
fit as a fiddle – can be used when one is in the best physical or emotional condition.
fit as a fiddle – can be used when one is in the best physical or emotional condition.
picture of good condition – can be used when one is in the best physical or emotional condition.
right as rain – can be used when one is in the best physical or emotional condition.
clean bill of health – can be used when one is in the best physical or emotional condition.
top of my game – can be used when one is in the doing extremely well.
