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lurgy love

lurgy

Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun UK, slang A fictitious, highly infectious disease; often used in the phrase "the dreaded lurgi", sometimes as a reference to flu-like symptoms

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

A nonce word popularized by Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes, scriptwriters for a 9 November 1954 programme of The Goon Show, "Lurgi Strikes Britain", in which Ned Seagoon must deal with a national outbreak of a highly dangerous, highly infectious and — as it turns out — highly fictitious disease known as the Dreaded Lurgi. Folk etymologies for this word include:

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Examples

  • I sympathise... the lurgy is a strong one this time round.

    Cough, splutter, coughcough.. Spinningfishwife 2006

  • And even though I know it's the lurgy talking and that I will get better, eventually, doesn't help.

    And we have -- karenmiller 2009

  • I am starting to think that people believe I am making it up when I mention another lurgy.

    snot « oh frabjous day! 2009

  • Cause arriving in Finland only to spend a week wallowing in diseased misery, with said lurgy probably being passed on to one's gracious hosts ... yeah, not good.

    Adventures of a Couch-Hopping Scribbler Part 3: Brighton Go Boom Hal Duncan 2010

  • And as he pointed out himself, probably not a wise move to expose yerself to the dreaded lurgy a few days before the Helsinki holiday.

    Archive 2010-06-01 Hal Duncan 2010

  • I feel cautiously optimistic that the lurgy has retreated enough that I won't pay a terrible price for going, but still ...

    Adelaide Natcon karenmiller 2009

  • Good luck with the new clubhouse and the dreaded lurgy.

    Cheeseburger Gothic » Okay, lets get this show on the road. 2009

  • Thanks to the lurgy and having to stop to get Prodigal Mage pages sorted I'm running a tiddy bit behind, but I'll catch up.

    Well, that was fun! karenmiller 2009

  • However, Kurtzhau has the lurgy and dosed most of the afternoon.

    Under the weather zornhau 2009

  • Cause arriving in Finland only to spend a week wallowing in diseased misery, with said lurgy probably being passed on to one's gracious hosts ... yeah, not good.

    Archive 2010-06-01 Hal Duncan 2010

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synonyms (5)

Words with the same meaning

  1. Only
  2. in
  3. playground
  4. sense
  5. the

Comments

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  • sonofgroucho commented on the word lurgy

    Tends to be dreaded.

    December 20, 2007

  • qms commented on the word lurgy

    When ailments are all in your head

    Faith healing may cure what you dread,

    But efforts of clergy

    Could drive out your lurgy

    And give you marthambles instead.

    January 16, 2016

  • madmouth commented on the word lurgy

    Also lurghee

    January 18, 2016