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collywobbles

/ˌkɑlɪˈwɑblz/
IPA guide

If you have a case of the collywobbles, then chances are you should stay home and close to the bathroom. Collywobbles is severe gastroenteritis that may send your lunch on a rocky round trip through your digestive system.

Many common illnesses have the look of a plural but the behavior of a singular (mumps, measles, hives) and collywobbles follows the pattern. The OED describes the origin of the word as a 'fantastic formation' of colic and wobble. That would be fantastic not in the "incredibly wonderful" sense but in the "based on fantasy" sense.

Definitions of collywobbles
  1. noun
    severe gastroenteritis of unknown etiology; characterized by severe colic and vomiting and diarrhea
    synonyms: cholera morbus
    see moresee less
    type of:
    gastroenteritis, intestinal flu, stomach flu
    inflammation of the stomach and intestines; can be caused by Salmonella enteritidis
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