SICKNESS
(as) sick as a dog
very sick; sick and vomiting.We've never been so ill. The whole family was sick as dogs.Sally was as sick as a dog and couldn't go to the party.
be sick
to vomit. (Euphemistic. Also with get, as in the examples.)Mommy, Billy just got sick on the floor.Oh, excuse me! I think I'm going to be sick.Bob was sick all over the carpet.
catch cold and take cold
to contract a cold (the disease).Please close the window, or we'll all catch cold.I take cold every year at this time.
catch one's death (of cold) and take one's death of cold
to contract a cold; to catch a serious cold.If I go out in this weather, I'll catch my death of cold.Dress up warm or you'll take your death of cold.Put on your raincoat or you'll catch your death.
clear something up
to cure a disease or a medical condition. (Especially facial pimples.)There is no medicine that will clear pimples up.The doctor will give you something to clear up your cold.
clear up
[for a disease] to cure itself or run its course.I told you your pimples would clear up without special medicine.My rash cleared up in a week.
come down with something
to become ill with some disease.I'm afraid I'm coming down with a cold.III probably come down with pneumonia.
down with a disease
ill; sick at home. (Can be said about many diseases.)Tom isn't here. He's down with a cold.Sally is down with the flu.The whole office has come down with something.
get sick
to become ill (perhaps with vomiting).I got sick and couldn't go to school.My whole family got sick with the flu.
have a stroke
to experience sudden unconsciousness or paralysis due to an interruption in the blood supply to the brain. (Also used as an exaggeration. See the last two examples.)The patient who received an artificial heart had a stroke two days after the operation.My great-uncle Bill—who is very old—had a stroke last May.Calm down, Bob. You're going to have a stroke.My father almost had a stroke when I came home at three o'clock this morning.
out of sorts
not feeling well; grumpy and irritable.I've been out of sorts for a day or two. I think I'm coming down with something.The baby is out of sorts. Maybe she's getting a tooth.
sick in bed
remaining in bed while (one is) ill.Tom is sick in bed with the flu.He's been sick in bed for nearly a week.
take sick and take ill
to become ill. (Folksy.)I took sick with a bad cold last week.I hope I don't take ill before final exams.
throw something off
to resist or recover from a disease.It was a bad cold, but I managed to throw it off in a few days.I can't seem to throw off my cold. I've had it for weeks.
turn someone's stomach
to make someone (figuratively or literally) ill.This milk is spoiled. The smell of it turns my stomach.The play was so bad that it turned my stomach.
under the weather
ill.I'm a bit under the weather today, so I can't go to the office.My head is aching, and I feel a little under the weather.
bellyache
n. a stomachache.Oh, mama, do I have a bellyache!That stuff will give you one fine bellyache.
big-C.
n. cancer. (Usually with the.)She was struck with the big-C.The big- C. will finish off quite a few of us.
blue around the gills and green around the gills
mod. ill; nauseated.You are looking a little blue around the gills.How about a little air? I feel a little green around the gills.
boogie
n. a tumor. (Medical slang.)Looks like a little boogie down in the lung.I've got to take out three boogies before lunch and look at X rays all afternoon.
bug
n. an illness; the flu.There's a bug going around.I picked up a bug at the office last week.
clap
n. gonorrhea. (Use caution with the topic.)Max has had the clap a dozen times.A case of the clap can change your life for a while.
creeping-crud
n. any unidentified disease.There is some kind of creepingcrud between my toes.I got the creeping- crud growing in my armpit.
crotch-rot
n. a skin irritation or disease characterized by itching in the genital area, usually said of males.What will get rid of crotch-rot?Here's some medicine for crotch-rot.
guber and goober
n. a tumor. (Jocular medical slang. Possibly because it grows beneath the surface like the goober—the peanut.)Dr. Jones took a huge goober out of a lady this morning.The patient with the abdominal goober is going into surgery now.
gunge
n. a skin irritation in the groin.I got the gunge. What'll I do?The sawbones'll give you something for the gunge.
hack
n. a cough.That's a nasty hack you've got there.A hack like that can lead to pneumonia.
hawk
in. to cough mightily; to cough something up.The cold has had me hawking for a week.He's been hawking all night.
head
n. a headache.Man, do I have a head. You got any aspirin?Music that loud gives me a head.
herped up
mod. infected with the herpes simplex virus.Why do all the boys treat me like I was herped up or something?They say all those frat guys are herped up.
illin'
mod. being ill; being sick.She was illin' big time and could not come to class.I was illin' so I called in sick.
nause someone out
tr. to nauseate someone.That horrible smell really nauses me out.Things like that nause me out, too.
pukes
n. the feeling of nausea; the feeling of impending vomiting. (Especially with have, get. Always with the.)Oh my God, I've got the pukes.I hate having the pukes.
pukish
mod. nauseated. (Folksy.)Oh, I feel so pukish.That old pukish feeling came over me, and I just let go.
raunchy and raunchie; ronchie
mod. sick; ill.I feel sort of raunchy.After I ate dinner, my stomach felt a little raunchie, so I went home.
scrud
n. a serious disease; a venereal disease. (Military.)Oh, hell! I think I got the scrud!Poor dumb Charlie can't tell scrud from crotch rot.
social disease
n. a venereal disease.Many people find things like—ah—social diseases difficult to discuss in public.Others talk about private matters like social diseases till you're sick to death of it.
splitting headache
n. a severe headache, as if one's head were splitting open.I'm sorry, I can't. I have a splitting headache. Maybe Fred will play bridge with you.This splitting headache has been going on for hours.
toss something off
tr. to resist or fight off a disease.I caught a little cold, but tossed it off right away.I can't toss off these viruses like I used to.
turn someone's stomach
tr. to nauseate someone.That stuff turns my stomach. Do I have to eat it?Whatever that smell is, it's turning my stomach.
under the weather
mod. ill.I feel sort of under the weather today.Whatever I ate for lunch is making me feel a bit under the weather.