What does "Chuck a sickie" mean?
It means taking a day off work by saying you are sick when you are not. Chuck is an informal way of saying take in this phrase, and a sickie is the day off.
Hear an Aussie say it
The saying
Chuck a sickie
Example
I chucked a sickie to go to the beach.
How Aussies use it
At work on Monday
Ella: Where was Dave on Friday?
Matt: He chucked a sickie. The surf was pumping.
Pumping means the waves were really good. Matt is joking that Dave was not really sick.
At a cafe
Leila: Omar! Aren't you off sick today?
Omar: I am! I've got the flu and I just came out for soup. I'm not chucking a sickie, I promise.
Off sick means away from work because you are sick. Omar really is sick, and he doesn't want Leila to think he is faking.
How to reply
- "Ha, don't let the boss find out!" A light-hearted reply when a friend jokes about it.
- "Hope you feel better soon." The right reply if someone is genuinely sick.
When to use it
Use it in a joking story about skipping work or school, usually after the day off. Chucked a sickie is the past tense. It is casual and fine among friends.
When not to use it
Never use it when you really are sick and are telling your boss. Say "I'm sick today" or "I'm unwell" instead, because chuck a sickie suggests you are faking. Joking about it at work can also get a workmate in trouble.
Where it comes from
Sickie is short for sick leave, with the -ie ending that the Australian National Dictionary Centre calls a distinctive feature of Australian English, as in firie for firefighter. It says sickie is first recorded in 1953, and it is often found in the phrase to chuck a sickie.
Questions about "Chuck a sickie"
What is a sickie?
A day off work because you are sick. Chucking a sickie usually means taking one when you are not really sick.
What is the past tense of chuck a sickie?
Chucked a sickie. For example: "He chucked a sickie on Friday."
Is chuck a sickie rude?
It is not a swear word. But it says someone is faking, so be careful saying it about a real person at work.
