Under the weather

Hi

I believe that "under the weather" is an old sailor phrase. When men were sick, they would rest below deck and thus were literally "under" the weather on deck.

'I am not well' means you are not comfortable as you used to be normally. It is not necessary that it specifies a disease.

'I am sick' means either you are troubled by a disease or by your surroundings.

Thanks for your answers.

If someone has a serious health problem like having cancer, can we say he is sick; he is under the weather or he is not well?

"Under the weather" would not be used to described a serious illness like cancer. "He is sick" or "he is not well" would both be better for someone with a chronic illness. "Under the weather" is vaguer and more temporary -- more like "Maybe I'm coming down with a cold or the flu, but it's not clear yet. I just know I feel lousy."

Of course, someone with cancer could also be feel

Hi

I don't think all the three phrases can describe a cancer properly. You can just tell:

He is suffering from cancer.

Prajwal

Thanks khoff for your clear answer.

khoff"Maybe I'm coming down with a cold or the flu, but it's not clear yet. I just know I feel lousy."

Can I use 'sick' and 'not well' to describe the situation in the quote?

In the U.S. you can. I think I've read that in the U.K., "sick" implies nausea and vomiting, but I'm not sure.

Hi khoff,

What's the difference in meaning between the two sentences?

I'm not feeling well.

I'm not well.

Thanks.

Thanks, Clive.