Flue for Dummies

Alright, so "flue" is a word that refers to a passage or duct for smoke in a chimney or a pipe for conveying combustion gases to the outer atmosphere. Like, when you have a fireplace or a wood-burning stove, the smoke needs to go somewhere, right? So, the flue is like the highway for the smoke to get out of the house and into the air outside. It's kind of like a chimney's own personal escape route for all the smoky stuff.

But "flue" can also mean something else! It can also refer to when you're feeling sick with a fever, sore throat, and all that gross stuff. You might hear people say, "I have the flu". That's a totally different meaning than the chimney one! It's like a little bug that makes you feel yucky and tired.

So, depending on how it's used, "flue" can mean either the smoke passage in a chimney or feeling sick with the flu bug. It's got two different meanings, but both are pretty easy to understand once you know what they are. So, yeah, that's what "flue" means!