Page 2 | Poorly

Everythingisnumbersnow · 2025-02-04T09:48:16+00:00

Aibu to find it really annoying how English people use this word? Sick. You mean sick. Unwell. Under the weather. Unless the question is "how did Rangers perform?" and the answer is "lol poorly" it has no place in the English language.

AnnoyingHabits · 04/02/2025 23:30

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 04/02/2025 23:23

I dunno. Not kind or something. Why are you picking it apart so much? She wasn't particularly pleasant in the deleted remark, but I'd never use rude language that was making fun of mental illness 😑

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Well you did. I work in this field and detest the ‘are you ok’ type jibes too. Where people accuse others of being mentally ill, as an insult.

Moier · 04/02/2025 23:24

Yorkshire lass here and l say it.. my family and friends say it.
" Oh I'm feeling so poorly"
Why would l say I'm feeling sick when l don't want to vomit?.

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 04/02/2025 23:23

AnnoyingHabits · 04/02/2025 23:20

What did you mean by ‘poorly in the head’?

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I dunno. Not kind or something. Why are you picking it apart so much? She wasn't particularly pleasant in the deleted remark, but I'd never use rude language that was making fun of mental illness 😑

coxesorangepippin · 04/02/2025 23:21

Sick is really ill, requiring hospital

Poorly is just feeling rough

Teanbiscuits33 · 04/02/2025 23:21

I do think it’s a bit childish and it makes me cringe a bit to hear an adult say it about another adult because I do associate it with saying to a child, ‘Aww, are you feeling poorly?’ or whatever, but I appreciate this is my problem and I don’t care enough to post a thread.

I also don’t like hearing adults say they’ve got a ‘tummy’ ache or when they say ‘bockle’ ‘hospickle’ etc, but each to their own!

AnnoyingHabits · 04/02/2025 23:20

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 04/02/2025 23:17

No, I wasn't. It was just a lighthearted remark as a retort to her comment (now deleted) about me, saying that the reason medical professionals use the words "poorly" are for patients/people like me. I didn't think her comment was called for IMHO.

I don't joke about mental.illness, I've experienced enough of it myself. 😳

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What did you mean by ‘poorly in the head’?

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 04/02/2025 23:17

AnnoyingHabits · 04/02/2025 23:13

She's clearly quite poorly in the head!

Are you ‘joking’ that a poster has a mental illness?

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No, I wasn't. It was just a lighthearted remark as a retort to her comment (now deleted) about me, saying that the reason medical professionals use the words "poorly" are for patients/people like me. I didn't think her comment was called for IMHO.

I don't joke about mental.illness, I've experienced enough of it myself. 😳

AnnoyingHabits · 04/02/2025 23:13

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

She's clearly quite poorly in the head!

Are you ‘joking’ that a poster has a mental illness?

SnoopysHoose · 04/02/2025 23:13

Can't believe the posters being so offended by OPs dislike of a word, calm
yourself.

wholettheturnipsburn · 04/02/2025 22:46

@Everythingisnumbersnow Oh dear OP

You've gotten a lot of posters upset. They'll be taking to their beds with poorly heads at this rate.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

IdaPrentice · 04/02/2025 22:14

I'm with you, I really loathe 'poorly'. It sounds so measly mouthed and euphemistic to me. And it can mean anything from having a slight cold to seriously ill.

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 04/02/2025 22:10

BatchCookBabe · 04/02/2025 21:11

I'll tell my 93 year old grandmother that you think saying 'poorly' is infantile then? She'll fall off her chair laughing at such a pathetic and ludicrous comment. YOU are the only one making infantile comments dear........

As for the comments about NHS websites and doctors and the words they use, and why .. You have clearly had experience of this. They never use these words with me. They clearly do with you. Nuff said! 😂

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I was referring to the poster with the NHS reference, not you! 😘

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 04/02/2025 22:08

This reply has been deleted

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Biffbaff · 04/02/2025 22:01

YANBU and I have hated this word since I was 5 and first heard it said by my primary school teacher. Makes me cringe. You will never hear this word meaning this definition escape my lips. I say ill.

Dabralor · 04/02/2025 21:38

I get this OP- are you Scottish? Poorly isn't used as a descriptor where I'm from in Scotland, its really noticeable how often it's a catch all term to describe illness here in England.

I also irrationally hate it when non-american people say 'i got sick', it just sounds so weird in a British accent!

RaraRachael · 04/02/2025 21:33

To me, "poorly" is how you'd describe a child who is mildly ill, not somebody at death's door in hospital.

Original poster

Everythingisnumbersnow · 04/02/2025 21:30

ruethewhirl · 04/02/2025 20:48

I'm sure I once read that in hospital speak 'poorly' means seriously ill and 'very poorly' means not expected to survive. Haven't RTFT, but if it hasn't already come up can anyone confirm if it's true?

God almighty that's absurd if so

OP posts:

BatchCookBabe · 04/02/2025 21:16

GabriellaMontez · 04/02/2025 11:34

This term is very well used in hospitals.

Get over it.

100% this! ^

BatchCookBabe · 04/02/2025 21:15

I know one thing for sure, I am definitely going to make sure I use the words 'poorly' and 'hubby' on Mumsnet a lot more from now on! 😂

BatchCookBabe · 04/02/2025 21:11

MeowCatPleaseMeowBack · 04/02/2025 10:55

It's so infantile. It makes me cringe to see the NHS website and actual doctors referring to "tummies" because they have to cater to the lowest common denominator.

I'll tell my 93 year old grandmother that you think saying 'poorly' is infantile then? She'll fall off her chair laughing at such a pathetic and ludicrous comment. YOU are the only one making infantile comments dear........

As for the comments about NHS websites and doctors and the words they use, and why .. You have clearly had experience of this. They never use these words with me. They clearly do with you. Nuff said! 😂

Anonym00se · 04/02/2025 21:07

GabriellaMontez · 04/02/2025 12:34

Perhaps it's regional? Widely used in the midlands and the north.
Only for poorly patients though eg icu or medical. I wouldn't expect to hear it on an orthopaedic ward. Unless someone had befome very poorly!

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I was in hospital last year with sepsis. A doctor said to me “Anonymoose, you are very poorly”. I shat myself because where I live (NW England), a doctor using the term “very poorly” means “you might not live”.

GabriellaMontez · 04/02/2025 20:53

ruethewhirl · 04/02/2025 20:48

I'm sure I once read that in hospital speak 'poorly' means seriously ill and 'very poorly' means not expected to survive. Haven't RTFT, but if it hasn't already come up can anyone confirm if it's true?

Absolutely! Although a previous poster has denied this so I wonder if it's regional.

"Mrs X is very poorly" would likely be followed by "could you ring her husband to come in asap".

It would be said in a very serious manner.

ruethewhirl · 04/02/2025 20:48

I'm sure I once read that in hospital speak 'poorly' means seriously ill and 'very poorly' means not expected to survive. Haven't RTFT, but if it hasn't already come up can anyone confirm if it's true?

Original poster

Everythingisnumbersnow · 04/02/2025 20:42

GabriellaMontez · 04/02/2025 11:34

This term is very well used in hospitals.

Get over it.

That's so offensive.

"Mrs X is very poorly" is not something to say about an adult ass woman in hospital

OP posts:

ko74 · 04/02/2025 19:37

I'm from a different country. We use sick to mean unwell.

When I arrived here I was ever so confused, then very quickly switched to saying "poorly" to mean unwell.

If I say sick, everyone assumes you mean vomiting here ime.

Still feels a bit weird saying "poorly"