Etymology Journal ยท U
Under the weather
Meaning
- Feeling slightly sick or unwell. It is usually reserved for minor ailments like a cold, headache, or fatigue rather than serious illness.
Polite, understated
Used in a sentence
- I'm afraid I won't be in work today as I am feeling a bit under the weather.
- She stayed home because she was feeling under the weather.
- He looked a little under the weather after the long trip.
The backstory
The origin is nautical; sailors who felt ill would go below deck, staying beneath the weather (the bad conditions) to recover from seasickness.
Heard in
Nationwide
Vibe check