pick up his health

[joham]

The patient was advised to go to the seaside to pick up his health.

Do native speakers use 'pick up' to mean 'regain'?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Anglika]

We might well say "He has gone to spend a fortnight by the sea to pick up" meaning to improve his health and regain his spirits.

I do not think I have ever met it as "to pick up his health".

 

[Raymott]

The patient was advised to go to the seaside to pick up his health.

Do native speakers use 'pick up' to mean 'regain'?

Thank you in advance.

As Anglika implies, it's not used transitively.
She was sick for a week, but now she's starting to pick up.

 

[Barb_D]

Interesting - not an American use that I've ever heard. I'd be wondering "Pick up what?" in that context.

 

[joham]

Thank you all very much. Now I've got to understand that in British and Australian English, 'his health' is not needed in this sentence.

And Barb, did you mean that the 'his health' should be used after 'pick up' in American English? Hope to get further help from you.

 

[Barb_D]

The phrase "to pick up" as it is described here is not an American expression.

She's gone to the airport to pick up her sister. -- Normal
He went to the store to pick up some milk. -- Normal
The pace is starting to pick up. -- Get faster (normal)
Here's a little pick-me-up. -- Something to make you feel better (normal)
He's gone to the shore to pick up. -- I'd be saying "Pick up what? Pick up who?"

I like learning these differences.

 

[joham]

I got it. Thank you again, Barb.

 

[Linguist__]

The phrase "to pick up" as it is described here is not an American expression.

She's gone to the airport to pick up her sister. -- Normal
He went to the store to pick up some milk. -- Normal
The pace is starting to pick up. -- Get faster (normal)
Here's a little pick-me-up. -- Something to make you feel better (normal)
He's gone to the shore to pick up. -- I'd be saying "Pick up what? Pick up who?"

I like learning these differences.

(Not a teacher)

The last one doesn't imply anything about health, to me at least. The sentence Raymott used had 'sick' in the first clause and it was that 'sick' that indicated what 'pick up' meant.

That doesn't mean it would be correct to say 'He's gone to the shore to pick up his health'. More likely would be 'He's gone to the shore to see if his health picks up.' or 'He's gone to the shore hoping that his health will pick up. Something along those lines.

'Pick up' doesn't have anything to do with health on it's own, as far as I'm aware, but health can pick up - in a similar way to spirits and pace.