parrot

(as) sick as a parrot

Thoroughly displeased, disappointed, or dejected (about something). Primarily heard in UK. Tim was as sick as a parrot when he learned that he had been passed over for the promotion. I'm delighted that my children have such wonderful opportunities abroad, but I must say I feel sick as a parrot at the thought of being separated from them for so long.
See also: parrot, sick

be (as) sick as a parrot

To be thoroughly displeased, disappointed, or dejected (about something). Primarily heard in UK. Tim was as sick as a parrot when he learned that he had been passed over for the promotion. I'm delighted that my children have such wonderful opportunities abroad, but I must say I've been sick as a parrot at the thoughts of being separated from them for so long.
See also: parrot, sick

parrot (someone's) words

To repeat verbatim what someone else has said or is saying. When you're teaching students a new language, it does them little good to just have them parrot your words—they have to understand the mechanics of the language itself. The three boys encircled the fourth, parroting his words of protest in mocking tones.
See also: parrot, word

parrot-fashion

By rote, without knowing or understanding the actual substance of it. You will also be tested on how to apply these rules to real-world scenarios, so don't just learn to recite them parrot-fashion.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

parrot fashion

BRITISH
If a child learns something parrot fashion, they learn it by repeating it many times, but they do not really understand what it means. Under the old system pupils often had to repeat lessons parrot fashion. There are no books, pens or chairs here, just a blackboard and a dirt floor where 150 dusty children sit in rows, learning their words parrot fashion. Note: Some parrots are able to imitate human speech, and repeat words and phrases, although they do not really understand what they are saying.
See also: fashion, parrot

sick as a parrot

BRITISH, INFORMAL
If you are as sick as a parrot, you are very annoyed or disappointed about something. Sportsnight presenter Des Lynam will be as sick as a parrot if his new TV show fails to score with viewers. Note: The origin of this expression is uncertain. References to people being `as melancholy as a sick parrot' have been found as early as the 17th century. In the 1970s in West Africa, there was an outbreak of the disease of psittacosis or parrot fever, which humans can catch from birds. At about this time, footballers and football managers started using this expression to say how they felt when they had lost a match.
See also: parrot, sick
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

sick as a parrot

extremely disappointed. humorous
This expression is a late 20th-century British catchphrase, often associated with disappointed footballers or football managers.
1998 New Scientist Many of my MP colleagues are as sick as the proverbial parrot that Lord Sainsbury has been appointed to succeed John Battle as Britain's science minister.
See also: parrot, sick
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

(learn, repeat, etc. something) ˈparrot-fashion

(British English, disapproving) (learn, repeat, etc. something) without understanding the meaning: When we were at school we used to learn history parrot-fashion; all I can remember now is the dates.
This idiom refer to the fact that parrots can learn phrases and repeat them after you without understanding what they mean.

(as) sick as a ˈparrot

(British English, humorous) very disappointed: She was as sick as a parrot when she found out that her sister had been nominated for a prize and she hadn’t.
See also: parrot, sick
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • be (as) sick as a parrot
  • (as) sick as a parrot
  • sick as a parrot
  • sick as a pig
  • (as) sick as a pig
  • be crook on
  • be crook on (one)
  • crook
  • less than pleased
  • mope
References in periodicals archive
Let us cockatiel you how you can brighten up your home with parrots.
Touch of the tropics! TOP TIP: Spread some colourful feathers around your home
Researchers called the parrot Heracles inexpectatus to reflect its Herculean myth-like size and strength - and the unexpected nature of the discovery.
Giant parrot 'may have feasted on its friends' SCIENCE
"Because no giant parrots have been found previously, parrots were not on our radar - thus it took some time to differentiate all other birds essentially from parrots to conclude that the unique suite of characters was definitive of a parrot."
Fossils of largest parrot ever recorded found in New Zealand
Estimated to have weighed about 7kg (1.1st), it would have been more than twice as heavy as the kkpo, previously the largest known parrot, Guardian reports.
Fossils of largest parrot ever recorded found in New Zealand
The lime-green parrot was seized in Vila Irma Dulce on Monday, April 22 when the officers swooped into the house.
Parrot who warned drug dealers police were coming gets nicked by cops; Lime-green parrot shouted 'Mama, police!' in an effort to warn its owners of police activity near the house
The book is mainly structured as state-by-state accounts, rigorously retelling prominent events and introducing people (mostly men as Olsen points out) whose stories have been interwoven with that of the parrot. Chapters also cover genetics, habitat conservation and management, and the recovery and research effort that will underpin the future of this enigmatic species.
Night Parrot: Australia's most elusive bird
A fire service statement read: "Fire crews were called to Wistaston Road, Crewe, to rescue a parrot which had escaped from a property.
Pet parrot rescued from top of tree in Crewe; Advice was sought from the RSPCA after the feathered friend escaped from a home
They said: "Our firefighter Craig Wade found this parrot during a routine runway inspection.
The runaway parrot found on a runway
LAHORE -- The Punjab Wildlife Protection Department has said the royal raw parrots were among the endangered species in the province and their numbers was on the decline rapidly.
Number of raw parrots declining fast: Wildlife dept
Before his accidental online shopping habit, Rocco the African Gray parrot was put up for adoption by the National Animal WelfaTrust sanctuary because it feared his swearing would scare visitors, the Daily Mail reported on Dec.
Cursing parrot orders online through Amazon Alexa
But the population decline is now especially worrisome because the parrots that vanished from El Yunque were some of the last remaining wild ones, said Marisel Lopez, who oversees the parrot recovery program at El Yunque for the U.S.
Scientists work to save wild Puerto Rican parrot after Maria
I'm an Antipodes awk awk Green Parrot, by name Andrew awk awk Walter Kaka (awk awk, really: "kaka" is awk awk Maori for awk awk "parrot").
Poll Pirate
The parrot was found in the Thornton area of Crosby on July 28.
NOTICEBOARD
They sing so much that if an Australian parrot or other such bird is kept with them they also learn and start singing.
Sale of songbirds picks up in Kohat