green about the gills

alternative green around the gills · alternative green at the gills · alternative green in the gills

1. idiomaticIll or unwell, especially as indicated by one's appearance.

   "You're looking rather green about the gills, old chap." "I feel a little chippy to-day." "That's the worst of these cheap champagnes."

   1899, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 6, in A Duet

   1 more example

   Although he boarded his ship with wristbands and pills intended to ward off any possible queasiness, he did not turn green about the gills.

   2007 February 25, Christopher Elliott, “Strategies to Make More Passengers Maiden Voyagers”, in New York Times, retrieved 15 Sep 2013

   Synonyms: diseased