Out of sorts
Meaning
Feeling slightly unwell, irritable, or not quite oneself.
Origin
In the bustling print shops of 17th-century England, every single letter, number, and symbol was a 'sort' – a small metal piece of type. A master printer's nightmare was to run 'out of sorts' for a specific letter, say a crucial 'e' or 's', which brought production to a grinding halt. Without those essential pieces, the printer couldn't function, couldn't complete the page, and the entire operation was thrown into disarray. This literal inability to be in proper working order, due to a missing component, swiftly became a metaphor for people who felt incomplete, unwell, or simply not themselves. It captured the feeling of being just slightly off-kilter, unable to perform as usual, like a printing press waiting for its vital missing pieces.
Examples
- She's been a little out of sorts all week, probably due to the stress of her new job.
- After catching a mild cold, I felt out of sorts and decided to take the day off.