rheumatics
The distinctly British colloquial word for rheumatism — the aching, stiffness, and joint pain that older generations talked about with weary familiarity.
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The distinctly British colloquial word for rheumatism — the aching, stiffness, and joint pain that older generations talked about with weary familiarity. It's the sort of word a grandfather uses while rubbing his knee, or a landlady mentions while climbing the stairs. Rheumatics carries a warm, informal register that 'rheumatism' lacks, suggesting a condition so familiar it barely needs its full name. It's heard less frequently among younger speakers but still crops up in everyday conversation, particularly among older Britons.
She blamed the cold snap for her rheumatics playing up something terrible all week.
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(British, colloquial) Rheumatism.
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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