be sleeping with the fishes
gangster cliché To be murdered and have one's body disposed of in a river, lake, or ocean. Don't worry, boss, that no-good snitch will be sleeping with the fishes before sunrise. He'll be sleeping with the fishes if he so much as breathes a word of our operations to anyone. I can't believe you were stupid enough to get involved with the mob. If you cross them, you'll be sleeping with the fishes!
be swimming with the fishes
gangster cliché To be murdered and have one's body disposed of in a river, lake, or ocean. (A less common variant of "be sleeping with the fishes.") Don't worry, boss, that no-good snitch will be swimming with the fishes before sunrise. He'll be swimming with the fishes if he so much as breathes a word of our operations to anyone. I can't believe you were stupid enough to get involved with the mob. If you cross them, you'll be swimming with the fishes!
dead fish
vulgar slang Someone who lies still, shows no emotion, and comes across as disinterested during sex. Don't just lie there like a dead fish! Communicate with me—tell me what you like. She was so sexy in the club, but, to be honest, she was kind of a dead fish in bed.
feed the fishes
slang To drown. Primarily heard in UK. We've got a search party out there right now, but I'm getting more and more worried about some of our guys feeding the fishes. If you can't swim, it's only a matter of time till you feed the fishes! If the Coast Guard doesn't find this guy soon, he'll feed the fishes. That water is freezing tonight!
fish
slang
1. An unintelligent, incompetent, or bumbling person. We thought he was going to really take charge and lead the project in exciting new directions, but he turned out to be a bit of a fish in the end. You fish! How'd you screw this report up so bad? Why would you listen to that fish? He has no idea what he's doing!
2. An inept or inexperienced poker player. An allusion to the term "shark," meaning a player who is very skilled and ruthless. He let them get cocky and think he was a fish for the first few hands, before taking them for all they were worth by the end of the night. The new guy at the poker table—do you think he's a shark masquerading as a fish? My dad was a skilled poker player and taught me all he knew—he would say, "I can't have one of my kids being a fish!"
3. A newly arrived prison inmate, typically when seen as naïve to prison life. A: "Who's going to show the fresh fish to his cell?" B: "I will. Follow me, bub." I see we've got a few new fish in the prison yard today. Anyone know why the fresh fish is here? What's his crime?
4. rude interjection A substitution for "fuck," used as an exclamation of anger, indignation, irritation, or exasperation. A: "Fish!" B: "What happened?" A: "I dropped my plate and it smashed on the ground!" The motor just burnt out on this mower again! Oh, fish! A: "Oh, fish! We both know that's a lie!" B: "'Fish'?" "A: "The kids are here, so I can't say what I really want to say."
fish around
1. To grope around (for something) with one's hands. I'm fishing around under the couch, but I don't think your phone is down here, Mom! Hey, can you fish around in my bag and find my keys? A: "I fished around in the 'Valentine's Day' box and found Christmas ornaments." B: "Oh geez, how did they end up in there?"
2. To pursue something indirectly, often compliments, as by saying negative things about oneself. Quit fishing around for compliments—we all liked your performance, OK? We know you're a smart kind, Dan. You don't need to fish around for compliments by talking about the one C you got. Tara's always fishing around for compliments by talking about how she couldn't get her hair the way she wanted it.
fish for (something)
1. Literally, to seek a particular kind of fish while fishing. I heard we're fishing for salmon today. A: "Have you ever fished for halibut?" B: "No, what's that like?" Well, yeah, I came out to fish for bass, but I had no intention of catching one this big!
2. To grope around for something with one's hands. I'm fishing for your phone under the couch, but I don't think it's down here, Mom! Hang on, I'm still fishing for my keys in my bag. I am fishing for the light switch, it's just so dark in here!
3. To pursue something indirectly, often compliments, as by saying negative things about oneself. Quit fishing for compliments—we all liked your performance, OK? We know you're a smart kind, Dan. You don't need to fish for compliments by talking about the one C you got. Tara's always fishing for compliments by talking about how she couldn't get her hair the way she wanted it.
fish for compliments
To attempt to elicit praise from someone, typically by saying negative things about oneself. We know you're a smart kind, Dan. You don't need to fish for compliments by talking about the one C you got. Tara's always fishing for compliments by talking about how she couldn't get her hair the way she wanted it. I think this self-deprecating routine is just how he fishes for compliments.
fish in troubled waters
To try to capitalize on or benefit from a situation, circumstance, or experience that is fraught with disorder, difficulty, confusion, stress, etc. No one really thought about the money lenders who were making cash hand over fist during the recession, fishing in the troubled waters many homeowners and small businesses found themselves in. I know you have a crush on Jim, but he and his wife have enough problems without you over there fishing in troubled waters. I can't stand lawyers who fish in troubled waters and try to make money off of people who've just been in car accidents.
fish out
1. To pull someone or something from a body or container of water, as if by fishing. A noun or pronoun can be used between "fish" and "out." Emergency services had to fish the drunken swimmer out of the freezing river after he started getting into difficulty. No, I will not fish out your keys for you. You're the one who dropped them in the toilet! A: "Are you really too squeamish to fish a live lobster out of the tank?" B: "Yes!"
2. To find and retrieve something (from within something else). A noun or pronoun can be used between "fish" and "out." It took me a minute to fish my keys out of my bag. When Maggie started having an asthma attack, I was able to quickly fish out her inhaler, thank goodness. I'll pay, if you don't mind fishing my wallet out of my purse.
3. To completely empty something of fish, as of a body of water where fishing is common. Typically used in passive constructions. We won't catch anything here if it's already fished out. There used to be quite a variety of fish in the lake, before anglers started coming from all over. Now it's fished out. Where are we supposed to get our salmon and halibut from if this place has been fished out?
fish up
To yank or pluck something up out of something else (likened to catching a fish on a fishing line). A noun or pronoun can be used between "fish" and "up." It took me a minute to fish my keys up out of my bag. I reached into the tank and fished up a large lobster. When Maggie started having an asthma attack, I was able to quickly fish up her inhaler, thank goodness.
fish up out of (something)
To yank or pluck something up out of something else (likened to catching a fish on a fishing line). A noun or pronoun can be used between "fish" and "up." It took me a minute to fish my keys up out of my bag. I reached in and fished a large lobster up out of the tank. When Maggie started having an asthma attack, thank goodness I was able to quickly fish her inhaler up out of her backpack!
loaves and fishes
Tangible benefits or rewards, especially when they serve as one's motivation for action. The phrase refers to the Bible story in which Jesus blesses a small amount of fish and loaves of bread, resulting in the disciples having enough food to distribute to thousands of people. Paul hasn't helped us with this project at all, but you know he'll be there for the loaves and fishes if we win the contest!
odd fish
Someone deemed strange by others. No, I didn't invite Joey—he's an odd fish, if you ask me. You can't say weird stuff like that, unless you want everyone else to think you're an odd fish.
sleep with the fishes
gangster cliché To be murdered and have one's body disposed of in a river, lake, or ocean. Make sure that no-good snitch sleeps with the fishes before he gets a chance to testify in court.
Ye gods and little fishes!
euphemism, old-fashioned An exclamation of shock, astonishment, or incredulity. A more emphatic, though less serious, way of saying "ye gods," a minced oath used as a stand-in for the more blasphemous "Oh my God!" Primarily heard in US. O, ye gods and little fishes! When will this torturous day end? A: "Inspector, look—a picture of the culprit!" B: "Ye gods and little fishes—it's Councilor Williams. He was under our noses the whole time!"
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.