Knocked up

Posted by ESC on September 23, 2005

In Reply to: Knocked up posted by Victoria S Dennis on September 23, 2005

: : "Knocked up". In Australia this phrase is not used as a euphemism for Pregnant. It is used in the sense of being out of breath usually after hard exercise such as a game of rugby or a solid workout in the gym. "Knock" is however used as a euphemism for a Nookie or sexual intercourse - straight or gay.
: "Knocked up" has been used in a similar sense in Britain since the mid-19th century, to mean not so much "out of breath" but "tired, jaded, worn out". You can be "knocked-up" by a long ordeal, or a bout of illness. (e.g. "You look a bit knocked-up; are you OK?")

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