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Expressions like “down in the mouth” or “in the dumps” are used to describe someone who is depressed. The phrase “down in the mouth” originated in the mid-1600s and refers to the downward angles of a frown. Friends may try to help, but sometimes it’s better to work through the sadness.
When someone is said to be “down in the mouth,” it means they seem depressed or despondent. Similar terms include “in junkyards,” “feel the blues,” or “upset.” Many cultures have some form of expression to describe someone who is depressed, using the turn of phrase as shorthand to describe someone’s state of mind.
English speakers have used “the dumps” to refer to a depressive state since the 1500s, and the expression “down in the mouth” emerged around the mid-1600s. It is a reference to the downward-pointing angles of a frown, as most some people associate a frown with upset or unhappiness. When someone is described in this way, it literally means that his mouth is set in a downward-turned expression, due to a general state of melancholy which precludes smiling.
Besides being used to refer to someone who is depressed, this idiom is also used to describe someone who is ill. Many people feel a little sad when they are not feeling well because they are not operating at full capacity and can feel frustrated or just generally unwell. Also, being sick often leaves people with a lot of time to think about the problems in their lives, and this can also create a feeling of depression.
Since many people don’t like to see friends unhappy, when someone appears to be down, their friends may try to take steps to ease the situation, ranging from mediating a dispute to throwing a party. Sometimes, such efforts backfire, because people don’t understand the root cause of depression, or someone’s temperament is simply not suited to whatever intervention techniques are being used. This is why it is common to be warned that someone is feeling down before visiting so people can prepare for an interaction that may not be pleasant.
Sometimes, people are simply going through a phase of unhappiness that not even the most well-meaning friends can help. Depression and sadness have been natural for certain periods of people’s lives, and sometimes it’s better to work with them than to try to suppress them. Many people use such periods as an opportunity for introspection and some choose to continue in therapy to talk about issues that may be worrying them.
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