A reader asked about the phrase “to call out sick,” which I had never heard, so I suspected it is a regionalism. I posted a simple message on my Grammar Girl Facebook page asking people to let me know what the phrase is where they live, and I got an amazing 145+ responses in less than a day (with some people reporting on multiple regions where they had lived or worked). I was inspired to compile it all into a map, which you will find below. (Ta da!)
Red = call in sick
Yellow = call out sick
Green = call off sick
Blue = mixed
Click the map to go to the larger, interactive Google map.
I noticed a few interesting things as I was entering the data:
- “Calling out sick” seems to be most common in New York, New Jersey, and Florida, although it is heard in other places.
- People in Texas all just said they live in Texas instead of giving me a city. That struck me as odd, since Texas is such a big state.
- A few people noted that they had seen a difference between different companies in their city. It may be that corporate culture or traditions have as much to do with this as regional differences. [UPDATE 08/12/09: After reading your additional comments, I’m even more convinced corporate culture plays a part in this, although there are clearly regional differences too.]
If you haven’t contributed to the map yet, leave a comment and I’ll add a pin for you.
Remember, this is an unscientific survey that to date only includes people who were Grammar Girl fans on Facebook. It may have all kinds of biases! [Added 8/10/09, 11:25 am: As some people have noted, the way I originally asked the question could have skewed the responses too because it may have sounded like I only wanted people to respond if they said “call out sick.”]
Phoenix, AZ
Call in sick
Love the map.
I live in Durham NC, but have lived in Phila, Delaware, Tampa, and Paris. I’ve never heard anything but “call in sick.” Of course, as a freelancer, I don’t use any of the terms listed!
I say “call in sick” or “call out of work,” but generally not “call out sick.” I live in Baltimore, MD, but grew up in Wisconsin and Connecticut so I’m not really sure where that puts me.
I’ve never heard “call out sick.” I’ve always used the phrase “call in sick.”
I alternate between “call out” and “call in sick.” I lived most of my life in the Marshall Islands, but have resided in Las Vegas, NV for 5 years now. My mom, who is from Connecticut but has lived in many different places around the U.S., thinks “call in sick” sounds weird. She says you’re calling because you’ll be “out,” so it doesn’t make sense to say “in.”
I “call in sick” because I am placing a call in to work. I have always used “call in sick” and I am originally a New Yorker (28 years) though now an Oregonian (10 years). I am actually surprised to see NY listed as “call out” cause this is the first I’ve heard someone use that. Maybe I missed a lot in the last decade.
From suburb of Chicago: Call “in” sick. (Although luckily, I’m pretty healthy and never had to use either expressions!)
I say “phone in sick”. I live in Lethbridge, Alberta.
I’ve never heard “call out sick” before! I’ve always used the phrase “call in sick.”
*That struck me as odd
When I was working in an office in Cedar Rapids, IA, I only heard “call in sick.”
I say call in sick – I’m in Holyoke, MA. But where I work now (big box store), people call out. Not call out sick, just call out. Maybe because the corporate HQ is in Minneapolis, I’ve no idea.
Whoops. I mistyped my name in my comment (Aarib), but my vote still stands.
I “Call IN sick” when I “Call OFF Work” I use these two terms most often I switch back and forth between the two sometimes during hte same conversation while calling off.
Not sure which Loc you’re aiming for so
Live Kingsford Heights IN (Grew up in Crown Point, IN)
Work Chicago, IL
Here in Britain, I’ve only ever heard ‘call in sick’. Google throws up quite a few examples of ‘call out sick’ and ‘call off sick’ for UK sites though. I have a gut feeling (but no evidence) that the latter is more commonly used in non-work-related contexts, eg when cancelling plans with friends.
For me, it’s call out sick.
I live now in Kelowna, BC (Canada), but I have lived and worked in Chicago, IL, Commack, NY, San Francisco, CA, and San Jose, CA. In SF, I had people working for me, and they all called out sick. (Though thankfully not all at once.)
In San Jose, I worked for a company with corporate headquarters in Kansas City, KS and division headquarters in Atlanta, GA. It was call out sick no matter where we had to call.
Here in Kelowna, I work for myself, so there’s no calling in/out/off sick; I just get on with it or else I stay in bed.
Thanks for this poll and for the map. It’s fun.
I call in sick (very upstate NY). A local regionalism, especially prevalent among corrections officers: to “bang in,” meaning to call in sick when you’re not sick at all.
I live in Lansing, Michigan and I “call in sick” when necessary. I’ve never heard of “call out sick” before today!
Ok, I’ll try to be more specific since I’m from Texas.
Houston, TX
Call in sick!
Not to be picky, but given the site, and the topic…
Regarding the Texas reporting: it “stuck” you as odd? Not “struck”?
P.S. As an Austin resident, I’d guess those Texans who didn’t specify a city were from less-regarded cities than mine. Poor, anonymous Houstonians & Dallasites. 😉
I was raised in Brooksville, Florida where folks call in sick to work. The same phrase is used in Sunnyvale, California where I currently reside.
I have lived in the Raleigh, NC area for 22 years, and in the South for my entire life (almost 50 years). I’ve always said (and heard other people say) “call in sick”. I wasn’t even aware of the other variations until now.
I’m in Merrimack, New Hampshire. I say “in”. I’ve always heard it that way, and it seems odd when I hear “out”. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever heard it that way, and I am 48 years old.
Originally from Kansas City, KS area; now living in San Antonio, TX (I give you my Texas city because THANK GOD I am not from Texas). I have always said “call in sick.” Why would one “call out” sick, unless they are shouting, “Hey, I’m sick! Stay Away!”
Call in sick. Joplin. Missouri
San Francisco, CA
I’ve always heard that people call in sick.
Great map… love to see the regional variations. The pop/soda debate is one of my favorites —
http://popvssoda.com:2998/countystats/total-county.html
Call in sick
Live in Dallas now, but same was true in Raleigh, Las Vegas and Chicago.
In Reno, NV, I would call in sick if I still worked!
Like Zoe, I freelance, and would only be calling myself. But I’ve never heard anything other than “call in sick.” Saint Paul, Minnesota
I’m from NYC and say/hear “call in sick.” However I used to work in theater, and when an actor was sick it was said that he “called out” of the show. Both versions make sense to me (in one, you’re calling in to say you’re sick; in the other, you’re calling to say you’ll be “out sick”) but I’ve only really heard “call in sick” as a full phrase.
“Call IN sick”. – Lima, OH
I have never heard the other ones.
Call in sick! I have never heard of the other frases. I am from Washington DC
Though it’s rarely necessary for me, if I need to miss work I “call in sick.”
Sandy
Green Bay, WI
We call “in” to the office to say we’re sick. I hadn’t heard of “call out” until Mignon’s twitter post.
I am from San Antonio Texas and had always said “call in” I moved to Philadelphia and they said “call out” and even tried to explain to me how it didn’t make sense to “call in” if you’re calling “out” of work. Either way, I didn’t go to work that day.
Oops, forgot: from Ames, Iowa.
Call in sick
From Salt Lake City, UT
Call in sick for me. I would say it’s what I learned in Halifax, NS on the far east coast of Canada. And I haven’t noticed people saying it differently in Toronto (central) and Vancouver (far west coast) where I’ve lived.
In Columbus, Mississippi, we say call in sick.
Pensacola, FL “Call in sick”
same in Atlanta GA AFAIK
Independence, LA
Call in sick
@ambieam
Yeah employees at Target “call out sick”. Weird…
There may be a difference in usage based on how the act occurs, not just on local idiom. It took me a LONG time to figure this out, but I suspect there’s much to it. Living in IL, I thought it BIZARRE that “calling out sick” was ever used around here. Sounds utterly foreign, like something people in Minnesota might say (sorry, too much “Fargo” influence!).
But the ACT of “calling in” when one is ill is quite different from a co-worker who is “out sick.” Same idea but 2 different things. “Joe called in. He is out sick.”
But to perform the act of “calling OUT sick” well … “I called. I am ‘out sick’ ” makes sense. “Calling out sick” sounds …. not traditional. Or maybe British …
Beyond that, the map is seriously impressive.
Call in sick.
Independence, LA
Hello, all,
I’m in the greater Washington, DC, area and have spent the last 10 years working in offices in DC, VA, and MD. We all “call in sick,” when we’re out of the office because of illness, but Jane is “out sick.” I suppose this is because we think of work as the place of referral; no one is “out sick” from home.
Before moving to the DC area, I lived in 8 other states and three other countries and I’ve never heard the phrase “call out sick.” Come to think of it, I’ve never heard the phrase, “call off sick” either. Learn something new every day!
Lakeland, FL
Call in sick
Call out sick. New Jersey.
Thanks! I’ve added pins to the map for everyone who left a comment with their location.
Las Vegas, NV – Call in sick.
We “call in sick” in Columbus, Ohio. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan and they say the same thing. I’ve also heard some “call off sick” though too but never “call out sick.”