Chuck a sickie is a phrase that is usually used in connection with work orschool. The colloquial expression ‘chuck’ means ‘throw’ and ‘sickie’ is a very common way for Aussies to say ‘sick day’. So, it basically translates as ‘throw (or have) a sick day’. There’s more to it than that, though.

When someone says, “Why’s John not at work today?” and a workmate replies, “I don’t know, but I reckon he’s chucking a sickie” it doesn’t necessarily mean that John is sick. In fact, it’s more than likely that he’s not. There’s a very good chance that he’s at the cricket, at the beach, or just vegging out at home.

That’s right, when Aussies ‘chuck a sickie’ they are nearly always well. They may have a special event they want to attend, or they may just be tired and want to use the day to catch up on sleep. Of course, this is frowned upon by employers, but even bosses have been known to chuck a sickie every now and again, especially when there is a sporting event on.

If you are unwell, it’s better not to say, “I’m going to chuck a sickie” as that would be interpreted wrongly. Instead, you should say, “I need to take a day off work as I’m not feeling well” or something similar.

Chuck a sickie is a good expression to be familiar with, but I wouldn’t recommend using it yourself in front of workmates. They might be suspicious the next time you are absent from work especially if it’s a Friday or a Monday as they might think you just wanted a long weekend.