Sorry for the delayed episode this week! If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen that I went to DC Podfest. And the first day I was there, I woke up with the beginnings of a cold. Luckily, I was able to get a hold of a bottle of Zicam fairly quickly and stave off the cold for a few days … until I got home. And then, it hit. This week has been a bit of a fever dream for me, but it made me start to wonder about some of the things we say when we’re sick and the origins, so get ready for a bit of an etymology episode.

But as long as there have been humans, humans have been getting sick, and many of these idioms carry a lot of unverifiable history with them. And, much like the cure for the common cold, the true origin stories of these phrases may never be found.

You’re listening to The Story Behind: The Extraordinary History of the Ordinary. I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Sick Sayings.

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Media:

• Music for Makers

Sources:

• God Bless You! Idioms for Those With the Cold and Flu Illness - ABC News
• Etymology of Bless You! - Snopes
• The meaning and origin of the expression: A frog in the throat - The Phrase Finder
• Sick as a dog - World Wide Words
• What is the origin of the phrase 'as sick as a parrot'? - The Guardian
• Does your heart stop when you sneeze? - Everyday Mysteries
• Sneezing With Your Eyes Open - Discovery/Mythbusters
• Ahem! What is a ‘frog in the throat,’ anyway? - NBC News
• Have You Ever Had a Frog In Your Throat? - Wonderopolis
• David Blaine Went on an Epic Quest to Learn How to Regurgitate Frogs - Vulture

Referenced:

• Podcast Brunch Club
• Sunshine & PowerCuts
• Podcast Brunch Club: Connecticut Chapter Facebook Group
• The Story Behind Book