# The phrase: "You're a Pill!" Heard it? Used it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793 "2009-12-10T23:52:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gang\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f07891/32.png) [@gang\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gang_green)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/41 "2009-12-12T17:32:16Z")
I believe it has fallen out of popular usage, kind of like “the bee’s knees” (and perhaps of similar vintage?). I usually run across it in old movies. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/42 "2009-12-12T19:02:39Z")
I use pill, card, etc. Someone pointed out to me recently that I use “cross,” which struck him as really old-fashioned, though it just sounds normal to me. I always assumed “pill” was from “a bitter pill to swallow.” ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/43 "2009-12-12T20:49:57Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve heard “You’re a pillock!” but not “You’re a pill!” My mum and her Scottish cronies used ‘Pill’ or ‘Pillock’ interchangeably. I tend to say ‘Pillock’ more. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/44 "2009-12-13T17:40:35Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > I’ve used it to describe my kids before. Not directly at them “you are a pill” but, for example, dropping the oldest off with his dad’s family for the night “he’s been kind of a pill today so I hope he cheers up for you” or to a teacher “He was a real pill last night and we talked about attitudes; I hope you don’t have any trouble today!” > > I use it just like “pain in the ass” except I can’t call my kids pains in the ass so I say “pill”. Same here. My mother used to call my sister and me pills all the time. Implication: pain in the ass. I never used the phrase as an adult until I started working with small children. It’s code between the parents and me for the kid being grumpy, misbehaving, or prone to tantrumming. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/45 "2009-12-13T23:12:20Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > My parents and grandparents used it. It meant being grouchy or mean-spirited, not annoying. Same here. I’m 62 and use it, but rarely and only with talking to people of my age. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/46 "2009-12-14T04:02:46Z")
I use it. I think old phrases are the cat’s meow. ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/47 "2009-12-14T17:29:16Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > True, but there’s definitely something to the phrase “he’s being especially 2.” Now that you’ve introduced me to the phrase, I think the wife and I are going to be giving it quite a workout between now and the Firebug’s third birthday. Glad I could be of assistance. 🙂 It really does describe that certain kind of pain-in-the-ass-ness, doesn’t it? Power struggly, “not hearing” when told not to do something, etc. I’m sure we’ll continue using it after he turns 3 (which will be a while yet), because I seriously doubt that the behavior will magically stop with the birthday… ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/48 "2009-12-14T18:24:56Z")
Another vote for Mom. I always inferred a person who was being difficult for no good reason. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793/49 "2009-12-14T18:48:49Z")
We used to use it a lot: “A pill is a pill and it always will.” It’s been supplanted by “web-blanket” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-youre-a-pill-heard-it-used-it/520793.md?page=2)