"Sick" and "Sick"

“I’m so sorry you’re sick,” said the voice over the phone. Sick? Hmmm. I know I just had a hip-joint replacement but sick? Don’t think so. That sent me on a word search for “sick.” I found several definitions, a plethora of synonyms, multiple metaphors, and some usage differences between British English and American English. To take the last one first, in Canada I often heard, “She’s off sick.” In the USA I’m more likely to hear, “She’s out sick.”


A couple of the more common definitions for feeling sick are “nausea and vomiting” and “suffering from an illness or disease.” And then there are metaphors and expressions such as:

 

• I’m so sick (identifying with your symptoms)
• Call in sick (unable to go to work or school)
• Sick and tired of your excuses (frustrated about something)
• Sick at heart (sad, disappointed)
• You make me sick (disgusted)
• Sick with fear (terrified)
• The cat’s been sick on the carpet (another mess to clean up)
• I’m sick to death of waiting for you (worried, impatient)
• Sick as a dog (desperately ill)
• That is really sick (awful, inappropriate, unusual, impressive)
• He fell sick (hope he didn't break anything in the process)
• She took sick (stole another's illness)
• You’ll make yourself sick if you eat any more (overeating pain)
• That sick pervert is on the line again (inappropriate comments)
• No more of your sick jokes! (unpleasant, cruel, strange)

 As I said, I’m recovering well from hip-joint replacement surgery. I am not sick!