There was a recent discussion of "pig sick" by Quinion, meaning "annoyed, saddened, displeased, discontented or indignant" about something. I've heard of sick as a dog or heartsick, but not pig sick. Have you?

[The Guardian talks about sick as a parrot.]

I've come across it, but rarely.

Have you come across sick as a parrot, too?

"Speak softly and carry a pig sick," to parrot Teddy Roosevelt.

I was surprised by how many animal references there are.

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
Have you come across sick as a parrot, too?

Yes it's a kind of joke sporting cliche. It's become a comedic response to any question asking a sportsman how he feels after losing. The equivalent for how he feels after winning is "over the moon". Both phrases are sometimes followed by the name "Harry" in reference to the sports commentator Harry Carpenter.

Hey, Bob, what news is there in China regarding the chemical plant explosion?

quote:

es it's a kind of joke sporting cliche. It's become a comedic response to any question asking a sportsman how he feels after losing. The equivalent for how he feels after winning is "over the moon". Both phrases are sometimes followed by the name "Harry" in reference to the sports commentator Harry Carpenter.

I wonder where that saying comes from, Bob. We have "over the moon," but not "sick as a parrot."

What do we say in the U.S. about losing a sport?