Learning English

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Summary

Saying you’re disappointed has nothing to do with parrots so why does this phrase compare it to being as sick as a parrot? Are you as confused as Neil? Luckily, Jiaying can explain it in this episode of The English We Speak.

Transcript

Jiaying
Welcome to The English We Speak. I’m Jiaying…

Neil
….and hello, I’m Neil. Jiaying, are you feeling OK today?

Jiaying
Yes, I’m fine thanks. Why are you asking?

Neil
Well, when we spoke yesterday you said you were ‘as sick as a parrot’.

Jiaying
I wasn’t ill! When someone says they are as sick as a parrot they mean they are very disappointed about something. I was saying how disappointed I was with the outcome of the football match – my team lost!

Neil
Oh I see – but why were you watching the football match with a sick parrot? I didn’t know you had one.

Jiaying
I haven’t got one, Neil – but I was very disappointed.

Neil
I’m sure – but I didn’t know parrots liked football as well.

Jiaying
Oh, Neil! Listen to these examples and will become clear.

Examples
I was as sick as a parrot when I saw someone had scratched my new car!

He was as sick as a parrot when he saw how much litter had been left in the park.

When I heard my colleague got a promotion over me, I was as sick as a parrot.

Jiaying
This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re hearing about the phrase ‘as sick as a parrot’, which we can use when we are very disappointed about something. So, Neil, have you got it now – there are no parrots, it’s just a saying.

Neil
Got it! No parrots.

Jiaying
Exactly – just great disappointment.

Neil
But I wonder how sick a parrot has to be in order to feel disappointment?

Jiaying
Let’s not worry about it. The phrase has got nothing to do with sickness.

Neil
OK then. See you later.

Jiaying
Bye, Neil.

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