green around the gills

Related to green around the gills: blue around the gills, same old same old, pale around the gills, pay a visit

green around the gills

Nauseated. After all that drinking last night, I sure am green around the gills today. The steady rocking of the boat caused Colleen to be green around the gills.
See also: around, gill, green
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

green around the gills

If someone looks green around the gills, they look ill, as if they are going to vomit. Kenny stumbled out from the washroom looking rather green around the gills. Note: The gills of a fish are the organs it uses to breathe instead of lungs. This is being used as a humorous term for the mouth.
See also: around, gill, green
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

green around the gills

verb
See blue around the gills
See also: around, gill, green
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

green around the gills

Looking ill; sick to one’s stomach. A green complexion has signified illness since about 1300, and “rosy about the gills” has meant being in good health since the late seventeenth century. Sir Francis Bacon used red about the gills to signify anger (1626), whereas in the nineteenth century white and yellow about the gills meant looking ill. However, green won out and survives in the present-day cliché.
See also: around, gill, green
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • blue around the gills
  • get (someone) around the table
  • get around the table
  • find way around
  • around (one's) ears
  • bomb around
  • go around and around
  • gaze around
  • gaze around at (someone or something)
  • feel around
References in periodicals archive
All that colour is making us feel green around the gills.
GROOMED & DOOMED mint; Celebs are wearing this cool pastel green. But whose style looks minty fresh and who is setting our teeth on edge?
Houston, 23, was left green around the gills with seasickness just FIVE MILES out of port.
Thieves all at sea; They nicked yacht to see the world
IF you're wondering why Daniel Radcliffe is looking a little green around the gills, it might have something to do with his next film project.
Dan's lost magic
Look very carefully at the video on 3am online now and you can see the point where he gets a bit green around the gills and has to let nature take its course.
Justin Biebarf! FANS FEAR FOR TEEN STAR AS HE VOMITS ON STAGE
ANDY Thomson left United looking green around the gills as Gillingham delivered a real coupon-buster.
Football: Super Thomson cuts Blades down to size; SHEFF UTD 1 GILLINGHAM 2
Looking green around the gills, the actor suddenly turned and fled towards the toilets - but only made it as far as a burger van before a torrent of vomit erupted from his tortured stomach.
Doctor spew; ACTOR MATT SMITH'S WEEKEND BENDER.
Green around the gills when it comes to playing as an emergency left back.
GREENE KEEN TO MIX IT UP FOR COOK; BRAY V SLIGO: TONIGHT, CARLISLE GROUNDS, 7.45PM
He's still a kid and very green around the gills, but you could bottle his enthusiasm and sell it.
DEFEAT BUT IT WAS NO DEAD LOSS FOR IRELAND; INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY IRELAND 1 NORWAY 2, FROM THE AVIVA STADIUM
No doubt they were a little achey and green around the gills, but their feat is fantastic.
Letter: The BIG issue - Celebs hit the heights
AHEAD of her first live festival appearance, poor Agyness Deyn looked a little green around the gills.
3am: Agy's Stroke of luck; T4 ON THE BEACH