Etymology Journal · W
What ails you?
Meaning
- This is a folksy, often Southern way of asking why someone is acting upset, weird, or behaving out of character. It can be a genuine inquiry or a slightly confrontational demand.
Curious, confrontational
Used in a sentence
- You have been sitting there frowning for an hour. What ails you?
- What ails you, boy? Speak up.
- She asked me what ails me, but I just needed a nap.
The backstory
Ails is an old English term meaning to cause physical or mental suffering. It has been used in rural American dialects for centuries to address behavioral shifts.
Heard in
The South
Vibe check