green around the gills

green around the gills
pale around the gills & blue around the gills & green around the gills
Fig. looking sick. (The

around

can be replaced with

about.

) •

John is looking a little pale around the gills. What's wrong?

Oh, I feel a little green about the gills.

* * *
or[pale around the gills] {adj. phr.}, {slang} Pale-faced from fear or sickness; sickly; nauseated. * /Bill's father took him for a ride in his boat while the waves were rough, and when he came back he was green around the gills./ * /The car almost hit Mary crossing the street, and she was pale around the gills because it came so close./ - Also used with other prepositions besides "around", as "about", "at", "under", and with other colors, as "blue", "pink", "yellow", "white".

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • green\ around\ the\ gills — • green around the gills • pale around the gills • blue around the gills See: green around the gills adj. phr. slang Pale faced from fear or sickness; sickly; nauseated. Bill s father took him for a ride in his boat while the waves were rough,… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • green around the gills — If someone looks green around the gills, they look ill …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • green around the gills — [adj] sick blah, crummy, miserable, nauseated, pale, queasy, shaky, sick as a dog*, sick to one’s stomach, throwing up, under the weather, vomiting; concept 314 …   New thesaurus

  • green around the gills — or[pale around the gills] {adj. phr.}, {slang} Pale faced from fear or sickness; sickly; nauseated. * /Bill s father took him for a ride in his boat while the waves were rough, and when he came back he was green around the gills./ * /The car… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • green around the gills —    If someone looks green around the gills, they look ill.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • green around the gills — Go to blue around the gills …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • green around the gills — green around (or at) the gills (of a person) sickly looking …   Useful english dictionary

  • be green around the gills — be green about/around the gills humorous to look ill, as if you are going to vomit. He was out drinking last night, was he? I thought he looked a bit green about the gills this morning …   New idioms dictionary

  • blue\ around\ the\ gills — • green around the gills • pale around the gills • blue around the gills See: green around the gills adj. phr. slang Pale faced from fear or sickness; sickly; nauseated. Bill s father took him for a ride in his boat while the waves were rough,… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • pale\ around\ the\ gills — • green around the gills • pale around the gills • blue around the gills See: green around the gills adj. phr. slang Pale faced from fear or sickness; sickly; nauseated. Bill s father took him for a ride in his boat while the waves were rough,… …   Словарь американских идиом

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