bay fever
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Any illness feigned by convicts to avoid being sent to Botany Bay.
Register: derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
Australian English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A term of ridicule applied to convicts, who sham illness, to avoid being sent to Botany Bay.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “bay fever” mean?
Any illness feigned by convicts to avoid being sent to Botany Bay.
Is “bay fever” formal or informal?
bay fever is generally derogatory, slang.