Under the Weather

Where does the phrase "under the weather" come from? It's probably nautical, like so many expressions: "cut and run," "passing with flying colors," "devil to pay," "flake out," "cup of joe." Tons of them.

A few different possibilities: when a salt was sick, he'd go below deck and so he'd be under the weather. Another, help me out here old salts, comes from "under the weather bow." That's apparently not the best place to be below deck during a storm. The third, the nearer a seasick passenger is to the keel, the less the sway. So you in theory feel better below deck.

Which explanation reigns? Have to go with "under the weather bow." I have a hard time thinking that an old-time sailor had the luxury of exercising his health plan by going below. In the old days, the idea of a deductible was having one or your limbs sawed off. Would a real nautical term ever refer to the plight of landlubbers? Don't think so. So I have to vote for those poor bastards heaving in the salty wind, no land in sight.

Me, I've been just slightly under the weather. I've been careful to sit on the keel of the metro bus, keeping arms and head inside. Very little sway, very little salt spray.