Australians have a fantastic turn-of-phrase for taking an unscheduled twenty-four-hour break from our jobs. Phoning one’s place of employment to report unplanned absenteeism (due to a fake illness) is called Chucking A Sickie.
It’s slang!
Sickie refers to claiming a sick day from work, and chucking is another way of saying throwing or tossing something, like a ball. In almost all cases, the phrase is used in conjunction with a known falsehood. The illness isn’t real (sometimes, it’s real but self-inflicted). The so-called sick person is tossing their boss a lie to have the day off.
Mondays are popular days for chucking sickies. So, too, are Fridays and any day before, during or after major sporting events.
Two decades ago, a croaky voice on a phone line was all needed to support an illness. Chucking a sickie today is easier than it’s ever been. All that’s required now is a brief text message or an e-mail with a non-specific illness. Keeping the explanation short and not volunteering extra details makes it easier to pass it off as an actual illness.
That’s it, no more to say about it. All done. Have your day off, and smile.
Please go and read my novel. Chuck a sickie if you need the time to read it cover-to-cover. -Michael
‘Forman’s writing style is artful, with the protagonist Mitchell’s warped thought processes masterfully exposed. The author has a powerful and vivid command of language and his word pictures are stark and disturbingly real.’
Linda J Bettenay, author of ‘Secrets Mothers Keep’ and ‘Wishes For Starlight’
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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