Sometimes you don't feel great, but you're not really ill. You’re not 100%, but you can’t put your finger on what’s wrong. When you feel like this, you are feeling under the weather.
Conversation one
Mrs Ho: Good morning, Mrs Wong. How are you? I haven’t seen you around the building for the last couple of weeks. Is everything alright?
Mrs Wong: Morning. No, I haven’t been out much recently. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather.
Mrs Ho: I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you don’t look very well. Your face is very pale. Perhaps you need some fresh air to bring the colour back to your cheeks. It’s a lovely day outside today.
Mrs Wong: That’s just what I thought. I’m going to go for a walk in the park and then pop into the supermarket.
Mrs Ho: You look as if you’ve lost weight as well.
Mrs Wong: I haven’t been eating like I usually do. Usually, I love my food, but these last two weeks I just haven’t felt like cooking and I’ve eaten very little. Most unlike me.
Mrs Ho: Have you been to the doctor? What did she say?
Mrs Wong: I didn’t bother going to the doctor. It’s nothing serious. I’ve just been feeling under the weather, that’s all.
Mrs Ho: You never know. If you’ve been feeling like this for two weeks, it’s worth getting a check-up just to be sure.
Conversation two
Tom: Morning, Suzie.
Suzie: Morning, Tom. Wow! What’s the matter with you? You look like death warmed up!
Tom: What do you mean?
Suzie: You’re as pale as a ghost and there are dark circles round your eyes. You don’t look very well at all.
Tom: I’ve been feeling under the weather all weekend. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I was fine on Friday when I got home from work, but on Saturday morning I started to feel unwell. I had to drag myself into the office this morning.
Suzie: Maybe you’re coming down with something. There’s a bug going round. I hope you haven’t brought it into the office with you. Why aren’t you wearing a mask?
Tom: I don’t feel fluey. I just feel under the weather. No energy, and a bit of a headache. I hardly slept a wink.
Suzie: Maybe you should go home and rest. There’s obviously something wrong with you. You’re not going to get any work done today if you’re feeling like that. I’ll tell Mr Lee you’ve gone home.
Tom: You’re right. I’ll be better off at home.
Suzie: Give me a call tonight and let me know how you are. Perhaps you should pop into a chemist’s on your way home and see if they can give you anything.