If someone’s “caught the lurgy,” they’re suffering from cold or flu-like symptoms.

“The dreaded lurgy” originates from 1950s British TV show “The Goon Show,” in which one character has to deal with a national epidemic of an unidentified illness.

“Lurgy” is probably based on a mispronunciation of the word “allergy.”

“She’s come down with the dreaded lurgy.”