I’m not feeling poorly at all, in fact I’m feeling mighty fine because I have just learned that The Mavericks are going to be touring the UK again in May!!! They are going to be in Manchester where I will definitely try to see them, Edinburgh which is a bit far for me, and London… I’ll see how it goes on that!
Back to the word of the day; the reason I have chosen this it is because it is quite a subtle word in its use and I’m sure is often overlooked in the great language debates.
It can be an adverb, and usually one with rather negative connotations, “he performed poorly in the competition” – he was expected to do better maybe, but really did rather badly. It can also just be descriptive, of someone who has not got much money, “he was poorly dressed, in ill-fitting clothes”
It can be an adjective, and in its use can vary in degree. It can be quite mild, “I’m feeling poorly, so I’m going home and going to bed.” It can be used to a child “Are you feeling poorly, sweetheart?” or it can be used to describe someone who’s mildly hypochondriac, “Aunty Vera’s feeling poorly again.” When it is qualified by the word ‘very’, it becomes serious. “I’m sorry, you’re great-aunt is very poorly” probably means you should check you know where she keeps her will!
The funniest association I have with the word is when my children were small, their doctor at the clinic was called Dr Poorly! (OK, in fact she was Dr Pauley, but it was still pronounced ‘poorly!’)
Lois Elsden 