This document lists and defines 25 common English idioms and phrases related to fish. Each entry provides the meaning of the idiom, synonyms where applicable, and an example sentence using the idiom. Some of the idioms covered include "a fish out of water", "cold fish", "to fish for compliments", "there are plenty of other fish in the sea", and "teach a man to fish". The document is intended to teach English language learners the meanings behind these common sayings.

1. SHIVOHUM EDU. POINT
ALKA SHARMA(ENGLISH TEACHER)

2. IDIOMS & PHRASES
1. A Fish Out Of Water
2. Cold Fish
3. To Fish For Compliments
4. There are plenty of other fish in the sea
5. To Have Other/Bigger/Better Fish To Fry
6. A Pretty/Fine Kettle Of Fish
7. To Fish In Troubled Waters
8. To Fish (Something or Someone) Out Of (Something or Someone)
9. To Fish For Something
10. Like Shooting Fish In A Barrel
11. To Fishtail
12. Fish-Eating Grin
13. Big Fish In A Small Pond
14. Fish Tale

3. IDIOMS & PHRASES
16. Odd-Fish
17. To Be Crooked As A Barrel Of Fish Hooks
18. Cry Stinking Fish
19. To Fish Around
20. Fish Eye
21. A Big Fish
22. Teach A Man To Fish
23. The Cat Would Eat Fish, But Would Not Wet Her Feet
24. All Is Fish That Comes To the Net
25. To Need Something Like A Fish Needs A Bicycle

4. IDIOMS & PHRASES
1. A Fish Out Of Water
• Meaning: A person who doesn’t feel
comfortable in a new environment/situation.
• Synonyms: misfit, ugly duckling, out of place,
a square peg in a round hole
• Use in a sentence: When he first moved to a
foreign country he felt like a fish out of water,
but after 3 years living abroad, he feels much
more comfortable.

5. IDIOMS & PHRASES
2. Cold Fish
• Meaning: Someone that shows little to no emotion
and thus comes off as unfriendly or distant to those
around them.
• Synonyms: unemotional person, aloof person, iceberg
• Use in a sentence: She acted like a cold fish on our first
date, but later her friend told me that she was just
really nervous.

6. IDIOMS & PHRASES
3. To Fish For Compliments
• Meaning: an attempt to get praise from other
people.
• Use in a sentence: She always talks bad about
herself, but I think she is just trying to fish for
a compliment.

7. IDIOMS & PHRASES
4. There are plenty of other fish in the sea
• Meaning: There are other more suitable
choices.
• Use in a sentence: Megan was sad after she
broke up with Andrew, but I told her not to be
sad. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.

8. IDIOMS & PHRASES
5. To Have Other/Bigger/Better Fish To Fry
• Meaning: to have other more important to do.
• Use in a sentence: “Wow, Susan was really
short with me today.” “Don’t worry, don’t take
it personally. It is just that she has bigger fish
to fry.”

9. IDIOMS & PHRASES
7. A Pretty/Fine Kettle Of Fish
• Meaning: a difficult, annoying or unpleasant
situation to be in.
• Synonyms: tight corner, tricky situation,
dilemma, crisis, back against the wall, mess
• Use in a sentence: After firing Jessica, he
found himself in a pretty kettle of fish.

10. IDIOMS & PHRASES
8. To Fish In Troubled Waters
• Meaning: to benefit by getting involved in
somebody else’s problems.
• Synonyms: to take advantage, to capitalize
• Use in a sentence: He likes to buy stops in
companies that are going out of business. I
guess sometimes fishing in troubled waters
can be very profitable.

11. IDIOMS & PHRASES
9. To Fish (Something or Someone) Out Of
(Something or Someone)
• Meaning: to find or retrieve something or to
pull something out.
• Use in a sentence: His hands were in his
pockets fishing for his keys.

12. IDIOMS & PHRASES
10. To Fish For Something
• Meaning: to try to get some information out
of somebody.
• Use in a sentence: I could tell by his broad,
open-ended questions that he was just fishing
for information, but don’t worry I didn’t say
anything.
•

13. IDIOMS & PHRASES
11. Like Shooting Fish In A Barrel
• Meaning: An activity that is extremely easy to
do.
• Use in a sentence: “I have never gone scuba
diving before, is it easy?” “Don’t worry, it is
easy, it is like shooting fish in a barrel.”

14. IDIOMS & PHRASES
12. To Fishtail
• Meaning: when the back of a vehicle whips
back and forth in an uncontrolled manner
• Synonyms: wobble, swerve, swing
• Use in a sentence: I took the corner too fast in
the snow and the back of the car started to
fishtail.

15. IDIOMS & PHRASES
13. Fish-Eating Grin
• Meaning: An overly satisfied smile intended to
annoy others.
• Synonyms: Smirk
• Use in a sentence: He has been walking
around with that same fish-eating grin ever
since he got a promotion.

16. IDIOMS & PHRASES
14. Big Fish In A Small Pond
• Meaning: a person who has more experience,
knowledge, power than others in a small field
or group of people.
• Use in a sentence: After he changes
departments, he will become a big fish in a
small pond.

17. IDIOMS & PHRASES
15. Fish Tale
• Meaning: a lie or an exaggeration of the truth.
• Synonyms: Pull someone’s leg, fib
• Use in a sentence: I don’t think he was telling
the truth, it sounded like nothing but a good
old fish tale to me.
•

18. IDIOMS & PHRASES
16. Odd-Fish
• Meaning: (British English) used to describe a
person that is weird or strange.
• Use in a sentence: She’s different. Sort of an
odd-fish.
•

19. IDIOMS & PHRASES
17. To Be Crooked As A Barrel Of Fish Hooks
• Meaning: a deceitful person; one who can’t
be trusted. Dishonest
• Use in a sentence: Be careful about during
business with him, he is as crooked as a barrel
of fish hooks.

20. IDIOMS & PHRASES
18. Cry Stinking Fish
• Meaning: (British English) to put oneself
down.
• Use in a sentence: Don’t cry stinking fish! You
are a talented musician.

21. IDIOMS & PHRASES
19. To Fish Around
• Meaning: to look for something.
• Use in a sentence: She was fishing around in
her purse for her cellphone.

22. IDIOMS & PHRASES
20. Fish Eye
• Meaning: to give someone a mean look; to
glare
• Synonyms: gaze, rubbernecking, scrutiny
• Use in a sentence: I could tell she was upset
by the way she gave me the fish eye in class.

23. IDIOMS & PHRASES
21. A Big Fish
• Meaning: an important or influential person
• Synonyms: big shot, big gun, the big cheese
• Use in a sentence: Doug got promoted, he is
the big fish now.

24. IDIOMS & PHRASES
22. Teach A Man To Fish
• Meaning: it comes from a famous proverb
that goes like this, “give a man a fish and you
feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and
you feed him for a lifetime.” In other words,
take the time to teach somebody how to do
something rather than do it for them.
• Use in a sentence: Rather than doing it for
him, why don’t you teach him how to fish.

25. IDIOMS & PHRASES
23. The Cat Would Eat Fish, But Would Not Wet
Her Feet
• Meaning: In order to succeed, you need to be
willing to take risks/chances
• Use in a sentence: Don’t be afraid, remember
the cat would eat fish, but would not wet her
feet.

26. IDIOMS & PHRASES
24. All Is Fish That Comes To the Net
• Meaning: a person that uses everything
available to him to complete a task.
• Use in a sentence: He took advantage of all
the opportunities he had in school to learn –
all is fish that comes to the net.

27. IDIOMS & PHRASES
25. To Need Something Like A Fish Needs A
Bicycle
• Meaning: used to describe something that
you don’t need.
• Use in a sentence: I am happy with my
computer. I need a new computer like a fish
needs a bicycle.
Alka sharma