Lurgi/lurgy

Origin of: Lurgi/lurgy

Lurgi/lurgy

An invented, humorous word for an easily transmitted but not too serious malady dates from 1954. It is attributed to the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) radio series The Goon Show, which in 1954 featured an episode about The Dreaded Lurgi, a disease that was about to engulf Britain. The phrase ‘the dreaded lurgi’ is still commonly used today to describe any not-too-serious, debilitating illness.