Health, illness, and death

alive and kicking

If so m e o ne or so m e t hin g is alive and kicking t h ey are still active or still exist.

Ro m ance is still alive an d kicking for a couple who w ill be celebratin g th eir 50th wedding an niversary this week.

The twins w a n t to let everyon e k now who has written to them th a t they are alive a n d kicking.

at death's door
If so m e o ne is at death's d oor t h e y are seriously ill an d likely to die.

He has won five g o lf co m petitions in three m onths, a y e a r afte r bein g a t death's door.

In o te I You can also say that someone is n e a r d e a t h ’s d o o r .

The sin g er said he was 'active a n d feeling very w ell' as he responded to reports th a t he was n e ar death's door.
IN O TE I You can say that someone c o m e s b a c k f r o m d e a t h ’s door or is b r o u g h t b a c k f r o m d e a t h ’s d o o r when
they have recovered from a very serious illness.

The p a tie n t has been brou g ht back from death's d oor by the n ew treatm ent, say his doctors.

a clean bill of health

If so m e o ne is given or gets a clean bill o f health t h e y are t old t h a t t h ey are co m pl e t ely fit and healthy.

In o t e I A bill of health was a certificate which was given to a ship’s captain to present at the next port the
ship arrived at. It stated whether or not there was an infectious disease aboard the ship or in the
port it was departing from.

He h a d a full m e dical e x a m in atio n la te last y e a r a n d was given a clean bill o f h ealth.

be dropping like flies

If p e o ple are d ro p ping like flies, large nu m b ers of t h e m are falling ill or d yin g wit hin a short period of
time.

Actors his a g e - m a ny o f them friends - were drop pin g like flies.

end it all
If so m e o ne en ds it all t h ey kill the mselves.

Boring, grey sta g e lig htin g can be id e al if yo ur heroine is ju st ab o u t to end it all.

In o t e I This expression is usually used in a humorous way.

be fighting for your life

If so m e o ne is fig htin g for t h eir life t h ey are seriously ill or injured an d are in d a n g er o f dying.

A boy a g e d 15 was fig htin g for his life last nig h t but two yo u n g er children were said to be out o f danger.
in o te I You can also talk about a f i g h t f o r lif e .

M ary won a desperate fig ht for life a n d w en t on to m ake a full recovery.

Work on your Idioms Health, illness, an d d eath

 UNIT 25

kick the bucket

If so m e o n e kicks t h e b uc k e t t h e y die. [IN F ORM AL]

IN O TE 1 The origins of this expression are uncertain. One suggestion is that the ‘bucket’ was a wooden frame
which was used when killing livestock. The animals were hung from the bucket by their back legs.
After they had been killed their legs often continued to twitch and kick against the bucket. Ironically,
this expression is now used in a humorous way.

O ur n eig h b or is a b o u t to kick the b ucket - he has so m e sort o f kid n ey infectio n.

knock someone for six

[E If so m e t hin g k nocks yo u f or six it shocks or u psets yo u so m uch t h a t yo u h ave difficulty recovering.
[BRITISH, IN F ORM AL]

The e m o tio n al shock o f losin g a p are n t can k nock yo u for six.

[2 ] If an illness k nocks yo u f or six it causes you t o be ve ry ill an d w e a k for a long time.

I pick e d up a virus th a t k nock ed m e for six. I lost a sto n e in w eig h t in tw o weeks.

In o te I In cricket, six runs are scored when a batsman hits the ball so that it lands outside the playing area
without bouncing. When this happens you can say the bowler has been hit for six.

a shadow of your former self

If so m e o n e is a s h a d o w o f t h eir f or m er self t h e y are v e ry m uch t hi n n e r th a n t h e y used t o be.

I co u ld n't b elieve h o w m uch w eig h t she'd lost - she's a sh a d o w o f h er form er self.

skin and bone or skin and bones

If yo u d escrib e so m e o n e as skin an d b o n e or skin an d b ones yo u m e an t h a t t h e y are v e ry t hin, usually
b eca use t h e y are ill.

A m an like m e ca n't live on beans - I'll soon be skin a n d bone.

By the en d o f h er life she was n o thin g b ut skin a n d bones.

under the weather

If yo u are u n d er t h e w e a t h er yo u are f e elin g ill.

I'd been feelin g a b it u n der the w e a th er for a co u ple o f weeks.

a wake-up call
A wa k e - u p call is so m e t hin g w h ich shocks p e o ple, ma king t h e m u n d erst a n d h o w serious a p ro ble m is an d
causing t h e m t o t a k e actio n in or d er to solve t h a t proble m.

In o te I If you have a wake-up call, you arrange for someone to telephone you at a certain time in the
morning so that you are sure to wake up at that time.

The re p ort sh o uld be a wake - up call for g overn m ents aro u n d the w orld to tak e actio n to im prove h e althcare
resources for yo u n g people.

the worse for wear

If so m e o n e is t h e w orse f or w e a r t h e y are tired or injured.

In the fourth ro u n d both fig hters suffered cuts over the eyes, a n d the cha m pio n was b egin nin g to lo o k the
worse for wear.

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Exercise 1
Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

d ea th healt h j life wear alive end kick k nock

1 He lay a t ___________ 's d o or for m o nt hs b ut m a d e a miraculous recovery.

2 After a ye ar o f illness I fin ally have a clea n bill o f ____________
3 My fa t h er is s t ill___________ and kicking at 85.
4 Sh e t old me t h a t she w asn't rea dy t o ___________ t h e b uc ket yet.
5 T he man involve d in t he accid e n t is fig htin g for h i s___________ in t h e local hospital.
6 A minor inf ection c a n ___________ yo u for six if you d o n't loo k aft er yourself.
7 It's been a h e avy w e e k and n o w I'm f eeling a bit t h e worse f o r____________
8 Sh e w e n t t hro u g h so m e bad tim es b ut n ever f elt she w a n t e d t o ___________ it all.

Exercise 2
Re - ord er t h e p hrases t o m a k e se n t e nce s. A d d p u n c t u a tio n w h e r e n ecessary.

1 t h e m e m b ers o f / were d ro p pin g like flies / t h e g o lf clu b / wit h food poisoning

2 was d elig h t e d / t h e m a n ag er /a clea n bill of health / to receive / for his t ea m
3 her music career / in spite of / is alive and kicking / her pro ble ms
4 t erribly / was a wa ke - up call / t he heart a tt ac k / t h a t scared him
5 fro m stress and / was g e n erally / she was suffering / un der t he w e a t h er
6 t o see / had b eco m e / t h a t Bill / I was shock e d / a sh a d o w o f his f or m er self

Exercise 3
C h o ose t h e b est a n sw er t o c o m p le t e t h e se n t e nces.

1 T h ey all t h o u g h t he w o uld die b ut he's s t ill_____________________________

a alive and kicking b kicking t h e b uc ket c k nocking hi mself for six

2 T he w o m a n was 71, living on a small pension and she was n o thin g b u t__________________________
a u n d er t h e w e a t h e r b skin and bones c alive an d kicking

3 For o n e b rief m o m e nt he c o n sid e r e d_____________________________ , b ut he k n ew every t hin g wo uld

eve n t u ally g et better.
a e n din g it all b kicking t he b uc ket c living and kicking

4 I suffered fro m a virus t h a t ____________ _________________

a kicked my b uc ket b f o u g h t for my life c k nock e d me for six

5 T h e illness has re d uced him t o __________________________________

a a sh a d ow o f his f or m er self b a clea n bill o f healt h c a wa ke - up call

6 You m igh t b e _____________________________ but you should still t urn up if you can.
a fig htin g for yo ur life b u n d er t h e w e a t h e r c alive an d kicking

Exercise 4
Re p la c e t h e u n d e rlin e d w or d s w it h w o r ds a n d p hrases in t h e bo x w it h t h e sa m e m e a ni n g.

it k nock e d him f or a six u n d er t h e w e a t h er wa ke - up call fig htin g for his life

skin an d b o n e given a clean bill o f health

1 After t h e accid e n t, he was in hospital, in a critical co n diti o n .

2 I've been d eclare d co m ple t ely well by my doctor.
3 Are you f eeling alrig ht? You loo k a bit u n w e ll.
4 Has she been ill? She's so t h in!
5 Havin g t h a t h eart a ttac k was a w arnin g signal - he n o w takes his health much more seriously.
6 T he news really u pset him - he hasn't f ully recovere d fro m t he shock v e t .

Work on your Idioms Health, illness, and d e at h

 UNIT 25

Exercise 5
C orre ct t h e id io m s in t h e s e s e n t e nc es.

1 T h e old f ol k aro u n d h ere h ave b ee n fig h tin g like flies recently.

2 He re ally ch a n g e d aft er his wife's d e at h. He's a sh ad e o f his f or m er self.
3 I'll h ave to t a k e t h e d ay o ff w o r k - I'm a bit w orse for h e alt h today.
4 A p p ar e n tly she w as re ally ill - a t d eat h's k nock, in fact - b ut she's fin e now.
5 You'll be ple ase d t o k n ow t h a t all t h e n ew - b orn p u p pies are alive an d living!
6 T wo p e o p le w er e killed in t h e accid e n t, an d o n e is still fig h tin g f or his healt h.

Exercise 6
A rr a n g e t h e id io m s in p airs t o c o m p l e t e t h e t a b le .

a sh a d o w o f y o ur f or m er self alive a n d kickin g u n d er t h e w e a t h e r j skin an d bone / s

be fig h tin g f or y o ur life | e n d it all | t h e w ors e for w e a r a cle a n bill o f hea th
a t d eat h's d o or kick t h e b uc k e t

b ei n g w e ll 1

2 1
b ei n g u n w ell 1

b e in g t hi n 1 ........................

al m o st d yin g 1

d yin g 1

Y ou r turn !
H ave h e a lt h issu es a f f e c t e d y o u r e c e n t ly? Use
t h e i di o m s in t his u n it t o d e scrib e a n y o f y o u r
e x p erie n ces. F or e x a m p le :

I felt like I was a t death's d oor when I h a d the flu

la st m onth.

I often feel the worse for w e ar in the m ornin g if I

d o n't go to bed e a rly enough.

He w<u -finding it hard -h accept

•foe flower w»s at deaths door.

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