Where does the term....

[Mr Moo]

[Louise]

no idea

[Jimmy]

a sick parrot

[Guest Jay]

 

I agree, it definitely comes from sick parrots

[ninja]

apparently this is where...........

 

The modern sick as a parrot recorded from the 1970s—at one time much overused by British sportsmen as the opposite of over the moon—refers to a state of deep mental depression rather than physical illness; this perhaps comes from instances of parrots contracting psittacosis and passing it to their human owners.

 

jesus i am now looking up phrases....anything to stop me from doin some work!!

[Guest saffysue]

Me & Bungle spent hours thinking of pointless phrases yesterday:

as gay as the day is long (!)

a square meal

seen one, seen them all

happy as a sandboy

 

What do they all mean?

And what the hell is a sandboy?

[Phil rr]

i thought it came from when budgerie gars were taken down mine pits to smell for gas?

[Louise]

thats was canaries

[Phil rr]

can't be. have you ever heard "sick as a canarie"? don't be silly

Edited March 15, 2004 by Phil rr

[Mr_Happy]

QUOTE (ninja @ Mar 15 2004, 10:10)

apparently this is where........... The modern sick as a parrot recorded from the 1970s—at one time much overused by British sportsmen as the opposite of over the moon—refers to a state of deep mental depression rather than physical illness; this perhaps comes from instances of parrots contracting psittacosis and passing it to their human owners. jesus i am now looking up phrases....anything to stop me from doin some work!!

the sportsman bit was close

 

bascially from what i've heard, the phrase came about because when english football teams 1st started importing players, some of them could barely speek the language. well, this one guy, after just getting into england, he was mobbed by press asking him about the transfer etc.

one repoter asked him how he felt and in his pigion english he said "i am sick as parret"

 

and its stuck ever since

[Guest Shenlong]

QUOTE (Phil rr @ Mar 15 2004, 18:09)

can't be. have you ever heard "sick as a canarie"? don't be silly

since when have you heard the phrase "as sick as a budgierigar"

 

it was canaries which they took down mines.

[Ginge]

QUOTE (saffysue @ Mar 15 2004, 10:50)

a square meal

QUOTE

Your dinner plate was a square piece of wood with a "bowl" carved out to hold your serving of the perpetual stew that was always cooking over the fire. The kettle was never actually emptied and cleaned out. New ingredients were simply added to the muck. You always took your "square" with you when you went traveling.

 

[Ginge]

QUOTE (Mr_Happy @ Mar 15 2004, 19:43)

QUOTE (ninja @ Mar 15 2004, 10:10) apparently this is where........... The modern sick as a parrot recorded from the 1970s—at one time much overused by British sportsmen as the opposite of over the moon—refers to a state of deep mental depression rather than physical illness; this perhaps comes from instances of parrots contracting psittacosis and passing it to their human owners. jesus i am now looking up phrases....anything to stop me from doin some work!! the sportsman bit was close   bascially from what i've heard, the phrase came about because when english football teams 1st started importing players, some of them could barely speek the language. well, this one guy, after just getting into england, he was mobbed by press asking him about the transfer etc. one repoter asked him how he felt and in his pigion english he said "i am sick as parret"   and its stuck ever since I'm afraid that Ninja is right.   Found this throgh random browsing. Tha bit "sick as a parrot" is at the bottom.

[Phil rr]

QUOTE (Shenlong @ Mar 15 2004, 20:05)

QUOTE (Phil rr @ Mar 15 2004, 18:09) can't be. have you ever heard "sick as a canarie"? don't be silly since when have you heard the phrase "as sick as a budgierigar"   it was canaries which they took down mines. only when they couldn't find any parrots

[Bushy]

Ok where does the saying:

 

SON OF A GUN

 

come from?

 

I know this i wanna see who knows! lol