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Poorly, does it mean anything.


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When I described someone was poorly to a mate he laughed and said whats that mean.

I explained it meant he was ill or was'nt very well.

Well I have never heard of poorly and laughed it off as though it did'nt exist.

However he got out the dictionary and funny enough it was'nt in there.

 

I have always addressed someone as being poorly if they are sick and can't understand why my mate thinks I'm making the meaning up.

Is this an age thing, for example the younger generation don't say poorly or what as he is only 10 years younger than me.

Does poorly mean the same to you or have you just not heard the saying.

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I was born and brought up in a small town called Warsop in North Nottinghamshire.

 

Poorly and badly were both terms used to describe illness or not feeling well.

 

I seem to remember that as a kid I'd be 'poorly' but my dad would be 'badly'. Whther that was just family or some aspect of usage that depends upon the age of the sufferer I have no idea.

 

I can't remember whether one was worse than the other - I don't think so, though if someone was elderley and 'poorly' then it usually meant that they weren't expected to last long.

 

Joe

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I can remember when I was younger I used to say that I was 'poorly' or someone else was 'poorly'.

 

Now I never say it as it seems like a word younger children will say when someones ill or an older person will say when being sarcastic.

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buy your friend a bigger dictionary for xmas.

 

poorly

 

\Poor"ly\, a. Somewhat ill; indisposed; not in health. ``Having been poorly in health.'' --T. Scott.

 

 

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

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Originally posted by Cyclone

buy your friend a bigger dictionary for xmas.

 

poorly

 

\Poor"ly\, a. Somewhat ill; indisposed; not in health. ``Having been poorly in health.'' --T. Scott.

 

 

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

It is the Collins dictionary so it does'nt come any bigger than that.

Well glad to see it does exist anyway even if its absent from his book.

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Another word that people from around the UK except here in Yorkshire have laughed at me for using, is mardy.

 

When I used it on holiday in September, I was around cockneys, Scottish, Geordies.. Yet none of them knew what it meant!

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