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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to hate the word "poorly"??

183 replies

allgonebellyup · 15/05/2007 14:26

Just hate it. Its not a real word, its a made up one. Whats wrong with saying "ill"?

OP posts:
BarryScott · 15/05/2007 14:38
AitchTwoOh · 15/05/2007 14:38

it's a great word, totally describes that low, bleh, wrung-out feeling you get when under the weather. sick means 'about to vom' in my house too, katelyle.

BarryScott · 15/05/2007 14:38

I say "feeling a bit unwell" or "not feeling well" never poorly..but I am Scottish.

JoolsToo · 15/05/2007 14:37

I hate it when women who are pregnant or new parent are referred to as 'Mum' and the child as 'baby'

katelyle · 15/05/2007 14:37

Isn't sick to mean ill, rather than nauseous American English? And I think of poorly as Northern - my dp uses it and he's from Bradford.

Original poster
allgonebellyup · 15/05/2007 14:37

Speccy, thats what i thought.

OP posts:
Spidermama · 15/05/2007 14:37

I hate it too. Very silly. Needlessly euphemistic.

Even worse though is when people say they're feeling a bit pooey. Uergh! FGS tighten up!

Aimsmum · 15/05/2007 14:37

Message withdrawn

speccy · 15/05/2007 14:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
allgonebellyup · 15/05/2007 14:36

oh ok

i see im outnumbered

OP posts:
scatterbrain · 15/05/2007 14:36

Don't know - I'm from the South and everyone I know uses it - including several Northerners I have to say ! Also Scottish friend uses it !

rabbleraiser · 15/05/2007 14:35

Too true ... as in 'mustnt' not being a real word either

Poorly is a great word. It says what it means to say. To say you feel ILL suggests that you need urgent medical assistance. Hypochondriacs like this word. To say SICK suggests that you're about to vomit. But to say POORLY suggests that you're feeling a bit under the weather.

katelyle · 15/05/2007 14:35

Of course you can scatterbrain - the Hobbit, the Box of Delights, Little Women or What Katy Did?

dinosaur · 15/05/2007 14:35

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Original poster
allgonebellyup · 15/05/2007 14:34

ok, where is it used most, region wise?
is it a northern thing?

OP posts:
J20BABY · 15/05/2007 14:34

i don't hate it, but i hate being it, i felt poorly last week

scatterbrain · 15/05/2007 14:34

That sounds nice katelyle - I'm still a bit poorly - can I come round and go on the beanbag PLEAAAAAASE ??

Aloha · 15/05/2007 14:34

It's not made up. I like it.

mosschops30 · 15/05/2007 14:33

X posts twig

MuminBrum · 15/05/2007 14:33

I think it might be regional - the word poorly is used far more where I live now than where I grew up.

MrsDiorKeanuReeves · 15/05/2007 14:33

I say 'poorly' - agree that it just means a little under the weather. I hate 'I'm sick'.

mosschops30 · 15/05/2007 14:33

Its in the dictionary allgonebellyup so it is an actual word

Yes u r being unreasonable

katelyle · 15/05/2007 14:33

I irrationally hate it too, but in our family it has a very specific meaning. Feeling sick means about to throw up, feeling ill means properly ill with a temperature, and feeling poorly means feeling sad and tired and in need of a nest on the bean bag, the special poorly rug, probably a mug of warm milk with a drop of vanilla in it and a digestive biscuit and a chapter of the Hobbit, or The Box of Delights or any of the shelf full of old fashioned books that they really hate but humour my desire for them to like by allowing me to read aloud in very specific circumstances.

speccy · 15/05/2007 14:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

speccy · 15/05/2007 14:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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