Simon先生の英語ブログで学ぶ使える英語表現ーGreen around the Gills 「えらの周りが緑色」

Hello, this is Simon.

まず、Simon先生の英語ブログを読んでみよう！

It’s that time of year again when it’s getting colder and people are starting to get sick.

We got hit last week when my daughter “came down with a cold”. It started with a cough, which seemed to get worse over a period of days. Then she began to get a fever, so we “called her in sick” at daycare for about 3 days. The funny thing was, in spite of her symptoms, she seemed “as fit as a fiddle”. In fact, we were thinking of letting her go back to daycare after her second day off, but then she “took a turn for the worse“.

She had been off for 2 days but had been fairly active all day. To anyone who didn’t know she was sick, they would have thought she was “the picture of good health”. I got home from work, and she had just finished her dinner. She said she was feeling a little sleepy so took a nap on the sofa. When it was time to go to bed, I picked her up and started to take her upstairs, and suddenly she “brought up everything she had eaten”. It went all over the floor. Fortunately it come out with a lot of force and flew some distance, so I got very little on me. She was looking pretty “green around the gills” after that, actually not unlike like “death warmed up”.

She slowly got better and is in good spirits now. I also started to feel a cold coming on but somehow managed to “keep it at bay”. Unfortunately, my son has the cold now. I’m pretty sure he got it off his sister. He’s about 3 days into it, so hopefully it’s peaking and will start to subside soon. I think we’ll need to give it about one more week until everyone is back in good health and “feeling as right as rain”.

ーそれでは、本文の中からピックアップした英語表現を見てみましょう！

“came down with a cold”

The expression to “come down with” something means to get or begin to suffer from a sickness. It is commonly used to talk about getting sick with a cold or influenza

(e.g. I got caught in the rain last night and nearly froze. I hope I don’t come down with a cold.)

“called her in sick”

To “call in sick” means to call work, school etc., to say that you can’t go because you are ill

(e.g. I had to call in sick yesterday, because I had a fever of 38 degrees.)

In the same way you can “call someone in sick”.

“as fit as a fiddle”

This expression means to be very healthy and strong. It is often used to talk about elderly people who are in very good health for their age

(e.g. My grandmother is going on 90, but she’s as fit as a fiddle.)

I have no idea where “fiddle” came from except for the fact that it alliterates with “fit”.

“took a turn for the worse”

To “take a turn for the worse” means to become worse. It is usually used to talk about someone’s health condition, or a serious situation

(e.g. The situation in Ukraine took a sudden turn for the worse last night.)

“picture of good health”

“brought up every thing she had eaten”

To “bring up” something in this case means to vomit

(e.g. Something I ate last night didn’t agree with me, so I ended up bringing up my dinner about an hour after I had eaten.)

“green around the gills”

This expression means to look pale and unwell. “Gills” are the openings on the side of a fish’s face through which they breathe. Apparently, they should be red. If they are green, then it is a sign that the fish is sick.

“death warmed up”

To look or feel like “death warmed up” means to look of feel very sick

(e.g. Are you sure you’re okay? You look like death warmed up.)

“feeling as right as rain”

To be or feel “right as rain” means to be or feel well or healthy again

(e.g. I was feeling pretty rough last week, but I rested all weekend, so now I’m as right as rain.”

The temperature has been fluctuating a lot this past month. Please stay warm and take care!

See you next month!

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Simon

Hello! My name is Simon.

I am from New Zealand, and have been living and teaching English in Japan since 1999.

My hobbies include movies, playing the guitar, gardening and hiking.