" To paraphrase, I might say: "I want to remove that tick which is been biting me all day long." I wouldn't say: "I must be free from that tick." And that's why I would use "rid of" with a cold, as opposed to "free" (no matter whether or not https://eco4grantsuk.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-greener-scotland-begins-at-home.html