Cold

A viral infection characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the upper respiratory passages and usually accompanied by malaise, fever, chills, coughing, and sneezing. Also called common cold, coryza.

Ah yes, colds. They have plagued my life for many a year. From birth to the age of eight there wasn't a time when I didn't have either a cold or hayfever. Now I've had my adenoids removed things are a little better, though the hayfever has got much worse.
Since I have of late returned to school, there is of course the beginning of term cold. Luckily for me, I only caught a mild sniffle whilst others got a bugger of a cold that let them have a few days off school. Or at least, they did if they were female. If they were male they got... man-flu.
Man-flu, is, of course, to the sensible female mind, just men making a fuss. They claim that when they get ill it's much worse than when women get colds, and have to give it a masculine name as well. However, it's all lies, lies I tell you. It's just wussiness, really. If you ask me, men have it lucky. They don't give birth, they don't have periods, they aren't likely to be patronised or leered over because of their sex, and nobody tuts at them if they get drunk once in a while. That said, they do go bald, so perhaps things even out a little.