How do you use "Sick as a parrot" in a sentence?

I'm absolutely sick as a parrot after that result. The team were sick as parrots in the dressing room. Sick as a parrot, I really am.

Sick as a parrot

Q: What does "Sick as a parrot" mean?

Extremely disappointed or dejected. The football manager's phrase of choice after a crushing defeat. 'Sick as a parrot' expresses profound disappointment—the kind that hits you physically in the stomach. It became a parody of football interview clichés but remains in genuine use. Why a parrot? Nobody's entirely sure, but the phrase perfectly captures that hollow, winded feeling of sporting failure.

Slang Term British ★★★★☆ Common Casual

Meaning: Extremely disappointed or dejected.

极度失望或沮丧。

Extremadamente decepcionado o abatido.

非常にがっかりしている、落ち込んでいる。

매우 실망한, 크게 낙담한.

The football manager's phrase of choice after a crushing defeat. 'Sick as a parrot' expresses profound disappointment—the kind that hits you physically in the stomach. It became a parody of football interview clichés but remains in genuine use. Why a parrot? Nobody's entirely sure, but the phrase perfectly captures that hollow, winded feeling of sporting failure.

这是足球教练在遭遇惨败后最爱用的表达。'Sick as a parrot'表达了深深的失望——那种像被人打了一拳打在肚子上的感觉。它已经成了对足球采访老套话的一种戏仿，但仍在实际使用中。为什么是鹦鹉？没人完全确定，但这个短语完美地捕捉了竞技失败时那种空虚、喘不上气的感觉。

La frase favorita del entrenador de fútbol tras una derrota aplastante. 'Sick as a parrot' expresa una decepción profunda, de las que te golpean físicamente en el estómago. Se convirtió en una parodia de los tópicos de las entrevistas futbolísticas, pero sigue usándose de forma genuina. ¿Por qué un loro? Nadie lo sabe con certeza, pero la frase captura perfectamente esa sensación hueca y desalentadora del fracaso deportivo.

惨敗後にフットボールの監督が好んで使う表現。「シック・アズ・ア・パロット」は深い失望——胃にどんと来るような落胆を表す。フットボールインタビューの決まり文句のパロディとなったが、今でも本気で使われている。なぜオウムなのか？確かなことは誰にもわからないが、スポーツでの失敗がもたらす空虚で息の詰まるような感覚を見事に表現している。

참패 후 축구 감독이 즐겨 쓰는 표현이다. 'Sick as a parrot'는 위장이 뒤틀릴 정도의 깊은 실망감을 나타낸다. 축구 인터뷰 상투어의 패러디가 되었지만 여전히 실제로 쓰인다. 왜 앵무새인지는 아무도 정확히 모르지만, 스포츠 실패의 그 텅 빈, 숨이 막히는 느낌을 완벽하게 포착한 표현이다.

Examples

I'm absolutely sick as a parrot after that result.
那个结果让我简直失望透顶。
Estoy absolutamente hundido después de ese resultado.
あの結果にはもう本当にがっくりだ。
그 결과에 정말 완전히 실망했다.
The team were sick as parrots in the dressing room.
更衣室里全队都垂头丧气。
El equipo estaba hundido en el vestuario.
ロッカールームで選手たちはみんな意気消沈していた。
라커룸에서 선수들은 모두 의기소침해 있었다.
Sick as a parrot, I really am.
我真的太失望了。
Estoy hundido, de verdad.
本当にがっかりだよ、心底ね。
정말 낙담했어, 진심으로.

Pronunciation

/sɪk əz ə ˈpærət/

Usage Guide

Context: disappointment, football, defeat

Tone: dejected, clichéd

✓ Do Say

Sick as a parrot
失望透顶
Hundido, decepcionadísimo
ひどく落ち込んで
완전 실망했다 (Sick as a parrot)
Absolutely sick as a parrot
简直太失望了
Absolutamente hundido
本当にがっくりだ
정말 크게 실망했다 (Absolutely sick as a parrot)

✗ Don't Say

Using unironically may mark you as speaking in clichés
不带讽刺地使用可能显得你满口套话
Usarlo sin ironía puede marcarte como alguien que habla con tópicos
皮肉なしに使うと決まり文句ばかり言う人に見えるかも
비꼼 없이 진지하게 쓰면 상투적 표현을 남발하는 사람으로 보일 수 있다

Common Mistakes

Always paired with 'over the moon' as opposite emotions
Football cliché but used more broadly for disappointment

Origin & History

The origins are disputed. One theory involves psittacosis (parrot fever), a disease causing depression-like symptoms. Another suggests it comes from Monty Python. More likely, it emerged organically in 1970s British football culture, pairing with 'over the moon' as opposite emotional extremes. Whatever its origin, football claimed it.

Etymology: Possibly from psittacosis symptoms, or 1970s football culture

First recorded: 1970s football

Cultural Context

Era: 1970s onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Football interviews; British comedy

Regional notes: British expression, strongly associated with football.

Story & Trivia

The phrase became so overused in 1970s and 80s football that it was ruthlessly satirised, appearing in comedy sketches mocking inarticulate footballers. Yet like 'over the moon,' it proved impossible to kill off and remains in use—sometimes ironically, sometimes genuinely.

Variations

Sick as a parrotAbsolutely sick as a parrot