" Quite simply, I'd say: "I want to remove that tick that's been biting me all day." I would not say: "I have to be free from that tick." And that is why I would use "rid of" with a cold, as an alternative to "free" (it doesn't matter whether https://governmentboilerscheme.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-greener-scotland-begins-at-home.html