adjective General Slang

Tom And Dick

/ˌtɒm ən ˈdɪk/ · adjective · slang

Cockney for sick — 'Tom and Dick' rhymes with sick, often clipped to feeling 'Tom'.

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Definitions

1

Clipped to 'Tom', feeling nauseous or off-colour.

“I've come over a bit Tom, I'd better sit down.”
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2

Ill or unwell. 'Tom and Dick' rhymes with 'sick', and the phrase is sometimes shortened to 'Tom', dropping the rhyming word.

“I was proper Tom and Dick after that dodgy curry.”
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3

Used of genuine illness keeping someone off work or in bed.

“He's been Tom and Dick all week with the flu.”
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Tom And Dick In A Sentence

Don't fancy the boat, I always go Tom and Dick at sea.
She phoned in Tom and Dick again this morning.
One whiff of that and I felt right Tom.

Origin & Usage

Twentieth-century Cockney rhyming slang using the generic everyman names Tom and Dick; pairing common first names for a rhyme is a recurring East End device, part of the same living tradition first set down by Hotten in 1859.

Variants TomUncle Dick
Tags #cockney#rhyming#british#uk#health

People Also Ask

What does Tom and Dick mean?

It's Cockney rhyming slang for sick, meaning ill. 'Dick' rhymes with 'sick'.

Is 'Uncle Dick' the same thing?

Yes, 'Uncle Dick' is a common variant also rhyming with and meaning 'sick'.

Where did Tom and Dick come from?

From twentieth-century London street talk, using the stock names 'Tom' and 'Dick' for the rhyme.

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