the trots
2
9.9
- idiom
- /ðə trɑts/
- Offensive
:
diarrea
- "She's had the trots all day long," Auntie Broil said. Mother pursed her lips and shook her head at the way.
- gives you the trots
- get the trots
Examples
-
Because I'm in charge of the entire dessert table at the Kennel Club's Yappy Yule party and Kent ate something funny and has the trots, I cannot get out of the house.
Fiction book (1996) -
Mad Dog Coll: I don't care if he's in the crapper with the trots; I got information he's gonna want to hear.
Fiction book (1991) -
Listen, you want something for the trots, just let me know.
-
I was so excited I got the trots.
Fiction book (1992) -
someone's got the trots.
-
When I go backpacking, I pack a badass water filter and figure that anything that gets through probably won't actually kill me, because my enjoyment of backpacking outweighs the potential consequence of the trots.
Blog text (19) -
After eating some questionable food, he unfortunately got the trots and had to stay home.
-
She always carries medication with her in case she gets the trots during her travels.
-
The spicy dish left him suffering from the trots for the rest of the afternoon.
Synonyms
81
2.1
Frequent watery bowel movements that can cause dehydration
11
9.9
A sudden attack of very loose, watery poo
Antonyms
How Severe
- Specialized
64
4.0
15
7.9
- Offensive
2
9.9
8
6.0
9
2.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + trots
A B1 learner who knows 'the' and 'trot' (to run) would not be able to deduce the meaning 'diarrhea' from these parts: the article is function word and 'trots' as used here is an informal slang sense unrelated to the literal sense 'to run'. The idiomatic, vulgar medical meaning is unpredictable from the constituents and thus would be unfamiliar without prior exposure.
Etymology
The trots probably comes from the image of trotting, or running quickly, to the toilet again and again; the quick trips make you think of a fast walk or 'trot'. So, it became a common way to say 'diarrhea'.