Describing People - Sickness

Discover how English idioms like "under the weather" and "black and blue" relate to sickness in English.

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under the weather [phrase]

feeling unwell or slightly ill

Ex: She stayed home from work because she was feeling under the weather .

to [be] off {one's} food [phrase]

to lose one's appetite due to being physically or mentally ill

Ex: Tim was feeling stressed and overwhelmed , which caused him to be off his food and lose interest in eating .

{one's} dogs [are] barking [sentence]

used to say that one's feet are in pain

Ex:

green (around|about|at) the gills [phrase]

(of a person) feeling or looking nauseated, pale, or sickly

Ex: The strong smell of fish made Sarah feel green around the gills , and she had to step away from the seafood section of the market .

a frog in {one's} throat [phrase]

difficulty in speaking, particularly due to one's throat being dry

Ex: John had a frog in his throat during the presentation , but he managed to clear it and deliver a flawless speech .

like death warmed over [phrase]

extremely unwell or tired

Ex: Andy had a fever and a bad case of the flu , and he spent the entire weekend feeling like death warmed over , unable to get out of bed .

to [puke] {one's} guts out [phrase]

to vomit intensively

Ex: After eating the spoiled food , John felt nauseous and ended up puking his guts out .

to [toss] {one's} cookies [phrase]

to empty what is in one's stomach through one's mouth

Ex: After eating some expired seafood , Mark felt extremely nauseous and eventually had to rush to the bathroom to toss his cookies .

to [ride|drive] the porcelain bus [phrase]

to vomit or feel sick, particularly when someone is leaning over a toilet bowl

Ex: After eating that questionable street food , Sarah ended up riding the porcelain bus all night , regretting her adventurous appetite .

to [talk] to Ralph on the big white (telephone|phone) [phrase]

to vomit a lot and in length

Ex:

bag of bones (and feathers|) [phrase]

a person who is very thin, often in an unhealthy way

Ex: Samantha looked like a bag of bones and feathers after weeks of battling the flu .

(as|) thin as a yard of pump water [phrase]

very thin, often in an unattractive and unhealthy way

Ex: Despite his doctor 's concerns , Peter ignored his health and remained as thin as a yard of pump water .

(as|) thin as a rake [phrase]

used to refer to someone who is extremely thin, often in an unhealthy way

Ex: Despite his love for food , Peter remains thin as a rake due to his high metabolism .

skin and bone [phrase]

used to refer to someone who is extremely thin, often in an unattractive and unhealthy way

Ex: He looked like skin and bone after weeks of hardship .

to [spill] {one's} guts (out|) [phrase]

to vomit in a very extensive way

Ex: Emma could n't handle the roller coaster ride and ended up spilling her guts right afterward .

black and blue [phrase]

covered with bruise marks on one's skin as a result of having had an accident or been hit by someone or something

Ex: After the intense football game , Henry was left black and blue from all the tackles and rough play .

under the knife [phrase]

used when someone is about to undergo a medical operation

Ex:

(as|) sick as a [dog|horse] [phrase]

used to refer to someone who is extremely ill or unwell

Ex:

(as|) weak as a kitten [phrase]

very weak or lacking in strength

Ex: Tim had been sick for a week , and he was still as weak as a kitten .

Describing People
Physical Appearance & Style	Fashion & Outfits	Age	Healthiness
Sound Body & Mind	Sickness	People Put into Description	Giving a Description of People
Taste & Will	Interest