idiom: be out of sorts

Share on Facebook

JCDenton

#536064 Wed, 02 Jul 08 11:17 PM

Hi guys,

Can you please help me with how to use this idiom? I learned this phrase during the translation of one episode of Cold Case. It means feel slightly ill or slightly unhappy. But guys, if you look at these two definitions you should agree with me that they're absolutely different. To be frank, I don't know how to use it in the normal life....Just imagine the situation, that someone invited you for the party and you're excusing yourself from that party, for example via email, where you wrote: "Sorry, I can't come to your party. I feel a little out of sorts. ". How that other person will distinguish what your feelings are? I mean, how can he determine whether you feel really slightly ill or just not in the mood to celebrating something...????

many thanks in advance, that idiom seems to be used very widely, so I want to learn it.

Best Regards

JCD

JCDenton

Joined on Tue, Jul 3 2007

Europe

Regular Member (503)

Idioms, Regards, Translation

Philip

#536079 Thu, 03 Jul 08 12:22 AM

Without modification, it is interpreted as slightly ill. To get the slightly unhappy idea across, you would need to add something like out of sorts with the world, out of sorts with that bunch. So, they aren't really as unrelated as one might think at first.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,181)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

Idioms

JCDenton

#536124 Thu, 03 Jul 08 04:49 AM

Many thanks Philip for very clear explanation.

Best Regards

JCDenton

Idioms, Regards

khoff

#536466 Fri, 04 Jul 08 12:32 AM

I wouldn't use it as an excuse for not going to a party, but more likely as an excuse for getting impatient, annoyed, or mad at someone inappropriately. It's more like being in a bad mood. "Sorry I snapped at you -- I'm really just out of sorts today. Forgive me?" Or "Why are you so out of sorts today? You're finding fault with everybody. Did you get up on the wrong side of bed?" (another expression for being in a bad mood for no apparent reason.)

khoff

Joined on Sun, Mar 6 2005

Denver, Colorado, USA, Earth

Senior Member (2,569)

Native speaker of American English (but not a grammar expert)

Idioms, Expressions

JCDenton

#536578 Fri, 04 Jul 08 11:20 AM

Many thanks khoff for your note...that's interesting.....

khoff
..Did you get up on the wrong side of bed?" (another expression for being in a bad mood for no apparent reason.)...

...:-)..We've very similar expression in my country for it...We say: "Did you get up with your left foot today?"

thanks again.

Greetings to Colorado!

Best Regards

JCDenton

Idioms, Expressions, Regards

Marius Hancu

#537142 Sat, 05 Jul 08 09:55 PM

feel indisposed

1 : being usually temporarily in poor physical health; especially : somewhat unwell usually temporarily <refused to see him because, she said, she felt indisposed>

2 : not being in the proper disposition for something : AVERSE <you know how indisposed tenant farmers are to doing their share of work -- Ellen Glasgow>

Merriam-Webster Unabridged

----

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Idioms