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Describing People - Sickness

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

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English idioms used to Describe People
under the weather

feeling unwell or slightly ill

Ex: I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so I'll stay home. 
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to [be] off {one's} food

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

Ex: She's been off her food ever since she caught the flu. 
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{one's} dogs [are] barking

used to say that one's feet are in pain

Ex: I've been walking all day — my dogs are barking! 
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green (around|about|at) the gills

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

Ex: After the boat ride, she was looking green around the gills. 
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a frog in {one's} throat

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

Ex: I've been talking all day and now I have a frog in my throat. 
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like death warmed over

extremely unwell or tired

Ex: I feel like death warmed over after that all-nighter. 
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to [puke] {one's} guts out

to vomit intensively

Ex: He ate something bad and puked his guts out all night. 
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to [toss] {one's} cookies

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

Ex: The boat ride was so rough that I tossed my cookies twice. 
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to [ride|drive] the porcelain bus

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

Ex: After too many shots, he spent the night riding the porcelain bus. 
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to [talk] to Ralph on the big white (telephone|phone)

to vomit a lot and in length

Ex: After too many shots, he spent the night talking to Ralph on the big white telephone. 
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bag of bones (and feathers|)

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

Ex: After being ill for months, he was reduced to a bag of bones. 
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(as|) thin as a yard of pump water

very thin, often in an unattractive and unhealthy way

Ex: After months of illness, he was as thin as a yard of pump water. 
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(as|) thin as a rake

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

Ex: After his illness, he was thin as a rake. 
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skin and bone

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

Ex: After months of illness, he was reduced to skin and bone. 
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to [spill] {one's} guts (out|)

to vomit in a very extensive way

Ex: He ate something bad and spent the night spilling his guts. 
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black and blue

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 falling down the stairs, his entire back was black and blue. 
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under the knife

used when someone is about to undergo a medical operation

Ex: He's going under the knife tomorrow to remove the tumor. 
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(as|) sick as a [dog|horse]

used to refer to someone who is extremely ill or unwell

Ex: I ate something bad and was sick as a dog all night. 
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(as|) weak as a kitten

very weak or lacking in strength

Ex: After the illness, he felt as weak as a kitten. 
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