To have a temperature/fever

[Conchita]

Hello everyone,

Which is more commonly used, do you think:

to have a temperature or
to have a fever?

Thank you.

[Andreana]

Hello Conchita, how are things in the Spanish capital? As for your question, I think you can say:

Mike is running a temperature (or he is running a high temperature) which means his temperature is above normal.
Or you could say Mike is feverish.

The most common expression however is probably Mike has a fever.

Also, fever can be used in combination with other nouns to describe a disease such as hay fever.

Maybe there are more expressions with the word fever?

Let me know what you think.
A
_________________
A smile will open doors

[Conchita]

Hello Andreana and thank you for your reply.

Madrid is too crowded, as usual, what with the pre-New Year's Eve hectic (and feverish ) activities and all: I still had to buy some grapes this afternoon, which I had forgotten all about and which, in Spain, are traditionally eaten for good luck at midnight on New Year's Eve -- one at each gong, i.e. 12 grapes per person (I always end up with my mouth full of half chewed grapes and it's embarrasing because you have to start kissing people straight away -- so there we go, chewing, shouting Happy New Year and kissing all at once). Another reason for this general shopping fever is that many children here still expect their presents to be brought by the Three Kings on the eve of Jan 6. People also exchange gifts at Christmas, but it's an imported tradition really, like the Christmas tree. What is more typical and popular here is the crib, although Spaniards are (unfortunately?) getting less and less religious.

I'd love to hear about season's traditions in Argentina.

Adi?s y feliz A?o Nuevo - Happy New Year!
Conchita

[Guest]

Conchita, this is a difference between American English and British English too. Americans will often say the child has a fever (even when their temperature is only slightly elevated and a normal response for a young child) whereas in the UK they will say the child has a temperature.

[Jamie (K)]

[Conchita]

Thank you both for your explanatory lines on this forum, which are a good example of the different ways of speaking the same language.