"Go down like a cup of cold sick"

[anatole nozière]

I would like to protest against today's idiom, "to go down like a cup of cold sick." It may have meaning to some, but it is not obvious or familiar to me, and I think it is not strictly speaking an American English idiom. It has, rather, the elliptical/nonsensical sound of something imperfectly translated from another language; I would guess the Yiddish language. If anyone knows of its use in any other linguistic context, I would be greatly interested to hear of it.

[Soup]

I would like to protest against today's idiom, "to go down like a cup of cold sick." It may have meaning to some, but it is not obvious or familiar to me, and I think it is not strictly speaking an American English idiom. It has, rather, the eliptical/nonsensical sound of something imperfectly translated from another language; I would guess the Yiddish language. If anyone knows of its use in any other linguistic context, I would be greatly interested to hear of it.

I've never heard it before either. By the by, where is this idiom of the day page?

[anatole nozière]

Google is prodigal in providing Daily Features for one's Google Home Page, among which I chose, the "daily idiom," knowing full well that there is nothing more vexed and problematic than "common usage." Still, I hardly expected to encounter anything as uncommon as a "cup of cold sick."

[Soup]

Could it be a play on the word sick in the saying "go down like a cup of cold sick;i.e, vomit"?

[Raymott]

Google is prodigal in providing Daily Features for one's Google Home Page, among which I chose, the "daily idiom," knowing full well that there is nothing more vexed and problematic than "common usage." Still, I hardly expected to encounter anything as uncommon as a "cup of cold sick."

Wouldn't it be better to complain to Google if you are offended by it?
It sounds like a fairly revolting saying to me too; something you wouldn't expect on a Google home page. But - maybe it's something the kids say these days; who knows?

[Soup]

Wouldn't it be better to complain to Google if you are offended by it?

Note, the poster would like to know,

"If anyone knows of its use in any other linguistic context, I would be greatly interested to hear of it."

[Raymott]

Note, the poster would like to know,

"If anyone knows of its use in any other linguistic context, I would be greatly interested to hear of it."

Other than in Yiddish? Or other than as an item on a Google home page?
In either event, I couldn't say, sorry.

[BobK]

Could it be a play on the word sick in the saying "go down like a cup of cold sick;i.e, vomit"?

I've heard this in Br English. I doubt very much if there's any Yiddish influence. The use of 'sick' as a synonym for 'vomit' (the noun) is something I associate with immature first-language speakers, not students or translators.

This 'Idiom of the Day' has some value though, in introducing the phrasal verb 'go down' in the sense of 'have a public reception'. There is another idiom that uses go down with a totally different sense: 'When Ali landed the punch, Liston went down like a sack of potatoes.'

b

[Soup]

The use of 'sick' as a synonym for 'vomit' (the noun) is something I associate with immature first-language speakers, not students or translators.

Interesting. I've heard mothers use "make sick" when speaking to their children.

Come to think of it, I have heard the idiom 'go down like a cup/glass of warm vomit' before, but not in 'polite society'.

Idiom of the Day sites are great. I'm not sure, however, how useful the one in question would be to language learners.

[Raymott]

I've heard this in Br English. I doubt very much if there's any Yiddish influence. The use of 'sick' as a synonym for 'vomit' (the noun) is something I associate with immature first-language speakers, not students or translators.

This 'Idiom of the Day' has some value though, in introducing the phrasal verb 'go down' in the sense of 'have a public reception'. There is another idiom that uses go down with a totally different sense: 'When Ali landed the punch, Liston went down like a sack of potatoes.'

b

There's other idioms with "go down" too.
Like ... er, the song "Don't let the sun go down on me".