These 34 fishy sayings can be used to not only improve speaking ability but also English listening comprehension. Learn the all today! Dive into fish idioms like “small fry”, “pool shark”, “odd fish”, and many more!
It perhaps comes as no surprise that fish idioms have fully infiltrated the English language. They are a big part of our lives. They are not only a food source but so much else. They are social creatures and have so many other great qualities. Let’s look at 16 fun fish-related idioms today to improve our daily English-speaking ability.
Fishy Sayings: 16 examples
Today we will start with 16 fishy sayings – these fish idioms can be used to sound more natural and effective in our English communication. After going over all their meanings, we will look at idiom examples by making sentences using these phrases. We’ll then work on some more fish idioms! And if that wasn’t enough, we will also do a fun idioms quiz at the end! All this combined should give you a nice boost for your daily English speaking ability!
| Fishy saying | Meaning |
| Shark | A shark is a very competitive or ruthless person. |
| Fishbowl | A fishbowl describes a location of experience where you are being observed relentlessly. For instance, your office could be a fishbowl where customers or colleagues can see you at all times. |
| Fish tale | A fish tale means a big lie. Has anyone given you a fish tale? |
| Loan shark | A loan shark is an unscrupulous person that loans money at high interest rates. It’s usually illegal. |
| Fishy | Something fishy is something that is suspicious or dubious looking. |
| Sardines in a can | Sardines in a can is a phrase used to express being tightly packed or crowded. For instance, we are sardines in a can on this bus! |
| Fish out of water | When a person is in an uncomfortable or very unfamiliar situation, and they feel awkward or unhappy then we can say they are like a fish out of water. |
| Small fry | Small fry means small or insignificant opponents. As in: “Oh, don’t worry about them, they’re only small fry. They aren’t real competition for our business. |
| Whale of a time | If you had a really enjoyable fun experience, then you can say that you had a whale of a time. A whale being big, means a big amount of enjoyment. |
| Pool shark | A pool shark is an extremely good pool player Who tricks other players into playing them. They act like they aren’t that good, and then end up winning. |
| Fish for compliments | If you drop hints that you’ve had a haircut, in the hope that people will comment on how nice it looks, then you are fishing for compliments! Sometimes we say stop fishing for compliments if someone appears over-eager to be complimented! |
| Fish kiss | A fish kiss is a kiss with puckered lips. |
| Shooting fish in a barrel | Shooting fish in a barrel means the target is easy. You can’t miss it. It’s either very easy or very unsatisfying. It has two connotations. |
| Odd fish | An odd fish is a peculiar or unique person. someone who is eccentric could be described as an odd fish. |
| Fish up | Fish up means to pluck or pull something up out of another place. For example, we fish up keys from our bags. |
| Slippery as an eel | If somebody is as slippery as an eel, then they are clever, cunning, and able to escape from situations well. It’s a negative idiom. |
Related: 90 Sentences About Fish For Great Grammar & Speaking
Fishy sayings: idiom examples
Here you will find 16 of today’s fishy sayings used in example sentences. To better learn them, I would recommend first saying them out loud, then trying to repeat them without reading. After that, write the idiom examples down in a notebook.
- Shark example sentence: Watch out for Martin. He is a shark in this office. Don’t tell him too much.
- Fishbowl example sentence: working here, it feels like we are in a fishbowl. They could at least put up some partitions between departments.
- Fish tale example sentence: Ava told me a real fish tale last week. She said the reason she couldn’t complete her homework, was that her dog ate it!
- Loan shark example sentence: you should never go to a loan shark. The interest rates are astronomical, and they can also be very dangerous.
- Fishy example sentence: I think something fishy is going on. That man has walked past our car three times now, each time peering into the window.
- Sardines in a can idiom example: the commuters look like sardines in a can. The rail company should use more train cars.
- Fish out of water idiom example: I felt like a fish out of water during my business trip. Having never been to France before, I struggled with communication.
- Small fry idiom example: Although the company used to be just small fry, they are now taking market share! The competitors are worried.
- Whale of a time idiom example: I had an absolute whale of a time at the theme park on the weekend.
- Pool shark idiom example: Watch out for William, he’s a bit of a pool shark.
- Theo was fishing for compliments the other day. He bought a new car and you could tell he was hoping we would say how good it was. To be honest, though, it is a nice car!
- Fish kiss idiom example: she suddenly gave him a fish kiss, and he was shocked. He didn’t know she liked him.
- Shooting fish in a barrel example sentence: I’m getting tired of this game, the combat is like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s just too easy.
- Charlie is an odd fish. He not only brings an umbrella on sunny days, but he also wears his jacket on warm days.
- Mike is as slippery as an eel. Whenever our manager accuses him of anything, he always has the perfect excuse. He’s a pretty fishy guy, in all honesty.
- Fish up idiom example: I fished the car keys up from the footwell, where I had dropped them.
Related: 41 Sentences With Whale: Have A Whale Of A Time!
Fish Idioms
Here are 18 more fish idioms, along with their meanings. After that, we will go over example sentences in everyday, regular English.
| Idiom about fish | Meaning |
| Fish | If you call someone a fish, you mean that they do not have much intelligence, or they may be lacking in feeling and emotion. |
| Big fish | A big fish is someone significant and important. |
| Red herring | A red herring is like a flag or clue that is misleading. |
| Fish eye lens | A fish eye lens is a type of camera lens, often used in photography and video. There are some pictures in this article I wrote on bug idioms. |
| Gone fishing | A sign denoting absence. If you ever see the sign gone fishing, it means somebody is out of the office. It said in a joking way. |
| Something fishy | If something fishy is going on, it means something doubtful or suspicious is happening. |
| Kettle of fish | Kettle of fish is used in a sentence such as that is a whole new kettle of fish. It means an entirely different topic, often said during arguments or heated discussions. |
| Plenty more fish | Plenty more fish is an idiom used to encourage someone when they’re feeling romantically rejected. It means there are many other potential people out there that you would like. |
| Teach a man to fish | Teach a man to fish is a proverb that means if you can teach someone to fish, they will be fine for the rest of their lives. It is the opposite of giving handouts. You are teaching someone to be self-sufficient. |
| Fish story | A fish story is an exaggerated and doubtful story. If someone tells you something you think is a fish story, you might react with a slightly sarcastic really. If you are friendly with them. |
| Crooked as a barrel of fish hooks | When we say that somebody is as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks, we mean that they are very deceptive. We can’t trust them. |
| Sleep with the fishes | To sleep with the fishes is a dramatic expression meaning to be murdered and hidden. Often used in stories or mafia tales! |
| Bigger fish to fry | Bigger fish to fry means we have more important matters to spend our time on. |
| Sounds fishy | Sounds fishy is used when we think something looks suspicious or doubtful. |
| Fish out | Fish out means to pull or take something out of a container or bag. It can also mean to pull someone out of water. |
| Drink like a fish | Drinking like a fish means someone drinks lots of alcohol. |
| Fish or cut bait | Fish or cut bait is a way of saying stop procrastinating and get on with your job or task. It can also mean you should stop doing something, that is probably unproductive or wasteful. |
| Big fish in a small pond | A big fish in a small pond is a powerful significant person, in a relatively small area. For instance, the boss of a small company branch office is a big fish in the small pond, that is his office. When he or she goes to the head office, they are no longer so significant. |
Fish Idioms: Example sentences
Now that we have learned the above fish idioms, let’s try some example sentences with them!
- Fish: Emma said that Liam was a bit of a fish. He wouldn’t comment or react at all in the conversation.
- Big Fish: Mr. Jones is the big fish in the office. If you have any problems, you should talk to him.
- Our teacher gave us a bit of red herring on the essay question. He actually wanted us to talk about the political environment, not the natural environment! He should have said it more clearly!
- Fish eye lens: Michael makes videos for his channel using a fish eye lens. He has lots of views!
- Gone fishing: I went to the manager’s office to ask about my holidays, but there was a sign on the door saying gone fishing!
- Something’s fishy: Something fishy is going on with Theo. When I asked him where the snacks had gone, he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
- Kettle of fish: Compared to high school, college is a whole new kettle of fish.
- Mike just got dumped by his girlfriend. I told him not to worry as there are plenty more fish in the sea.
- Teach a man to fish: The old proverb, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, is so completely true! We should all learn to be independent.
- Fish story: Nick’s narrative of the football match was a bit of a fish story. He actually didn’t score any goals, even though he was hinting he did!
- Crooked as a barrel of fish hooks: He is as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks, I wouldn’t trust a single word he says!
- Big fish in a small pond: Mark is a big fish in a small pond here. When she moves to the head office, she will just be a normal staff member.
- Sleep with the fishes: In the movie, the gangster character was sent to sleep with the fishes!
- Bigger fish to fry: I’m sorry Ava, I can’t look at this document right now. I have bigger fish to fry. If I don’t get this assignment finished, I’m fired!
- Sounds fishy: Noah’s explanation as to why he missed class sounds fishy to me. I knew he wasn’t sick.
- Fish out: I fished out my English sentences homework. The teacher wanted to see it.
- Drink like a fish: William drinks like a fish. He really should try to moderate his alcohol consumption, because it is unhealthy.
- Fish or cut bait: I told Elijah that he needs to either fish or cut bait. He’s been procrastinating about starting college for far too long.
Idioms quiz – Can you spot the fishy saying?
I hope all those expressions have been a good boost for your daily English speaking. They really can be, if you use them in the right situations. Next, we will try a quiz using all 15 of today’s fishy sayings! The idea of this idioms quiz is for you to recognize what idioms we should use. For example:
Mike is as [ ]. He always has the perfect excuse when he is accused of something.
Answer: the idiom example is slippery as an eel. You can find the answers to this fish idioms quiz at the bottom of this article!
- Working at the shop feels like we are in a [ ]. Our counter is in the center of the store so customers can see us at all times.
- You had better be careful about Mark. He is quite the [ ]. If you tell him anything, he will use that information for his benefit.
- He told me such a [ ]. I couldn’t believe a word of that story.
- Liam is [ ]. Every time the teacher accuses him of doing something, he always has the perfect excuse. He never seems to get told off, even though he does bad stuff.
- Don’t go to a [ ]. They will rip you off!
- There is something [ ] about her story. She didn’t exactly lie, but I sense she wasn’t telling the whole truth.
- This video game is far too easy. It is like [ ].
- Michael gave his girlfriend a [ ].
- When I’m riding the subway, it sometimes feels like we are [ ]. I wish there was more space.
- Ophelia felt like a [ ]. After transferring to the new office she hasn’t felt comfortable.
- Tony is known as a bit of a [ ]. I’ve never seen him lose a game of pool.
- Don’t worry about that football team. They are just [ ]. They can’t compete with us.
- I went to Hawaii last summer and had a [ ]. It’s such a brilliant place.
- Trevor is a bit of an [ ]. He always combs his hair in exactly the same way every day. If it is slightly uneven, he gets really irritated.
- Emma just got her hair done. She was asking me if I had noticed anything about her. I think she was [ ].
- Can you try to [ ] the phone charger for me? It’s on the floor over there.
Fishing sayings
Do you like to go fishing? If I have the time, It’s something I like to do. Here are 4 fishing sayings.
| Fishing saying | Meaning |
| A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work. | Even if you have an unsuccessful day of fishing, it is still more enjoyable than a regular day at work! |
| Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. | If you give someone a fish, they’ll have enough to eat for one day. But if you teach them how to fish, they’ll be able to provide for themselves indefinitely. Makes sense! |
| There’s always a bigger fish. | No matter how big or impressive the fish you catch is, there’s always a larger or more impressive fish out there. It’s a reminder to stay humble and keep striving for greater achievements! |
| Fisherman’s luck: The harder you work, the luckier you get. | Luck in fishing is directly proportional to the effort you put into it. The more you work hard and persevere, the luckier you’ll become in catching fish. Is it true? |
Fish puns
Let’s have a look at some fish puns next. What’s a fish pun, you might be wondering? Well, a pun is a play on words that exploits multiple meanings or similar sounds of different words to create humor or a clever effect. A joke, basically. Here are 5 fish puns which you may, or may not, find funny!
Fish pun | Explanation |
| What did the fish say when it posted bail? “I’m off the hook!” | This pun plays on the phrase “off the hook,” which means being released from responsibility or getting out of trouble. In the context of the fish, it adds a humorous twist by relating to its literal state of being off the hook as it was released from the fishing line. Lucky fish! |
| “I’m hooked on fishing! It’s quite a reel addiction.” | The pun plays on the word “hooked,” which means being addicted or deeply interested in something. “Reel” is a play on words referring to both a fishing reel and something that is real. |
| “What do you call a fish that wears a crown? A king mackerel!” | This pun combines the word “king” with “mackerel,” which is a type of fish, to create a pun. |
| “What did the fish say when it swam into a wall? Dam!” | This pun relies on the similarity in pronunciation between “dam” (a barrier in a river) and “damn” (an exclamation of frustration or surprise). |
| “Did you hear about the musical fish? It had great scales!” | This pun uses the word “scales” to refer both to the musical concept of scales and the external covering of fish. |
Paragraph on fish: let’s use some fishy sayings!
Writing a paragraph on fish, or on any topic for that matter, can be a very useful practice for improving English. It not only lets us review grammar structures, but also allows us to try out new vocabulary and idioms. Now, we will write a paragraph on fish, using some of today’s fish idioms.
Fish idioms can be very useful for building up English communication skills. We can use them in various social situations. Let me give you a few examples. First, let’s use the idiom kettle of fish. When we are talking about two subjects that are very different from each other, we can use this fish idiom. For instance, we’ve been working at a small company for a few years and are considering changing jobs and joining a big multinational organization. Working for a large organization would be a different kettle of fish, to working for a small family-owned type of place. Another casual idiom that we can use in conversation is gone fishing. Here’s an example: So many people are visiting my desk today. I should put a little sign up saying gone fishing, and disappear for an hour!
Fishy sayings: FAQs
So far today we have looked at a lot of English related to fish:
- Fishy sayings
- Fishing sayings
- Fish puns
- A paragraph about fish
Now, we will check out some commonly asked questions surrounding fishy sayings, and idioms in general.
Why use idioms?
Idioms allow us to be more creative in our speaking, as opposed to just stating literal facts. For example, I was traveling to a baseball game the other week with my friend. We were riding on the train and he said to me: “We’re packed like sardines in a can right here”. He could have said that the train was crowded, but which one sounds more impactful and interesting? Idioms often give you an extra layer of meaning or illustration, so if the situation is suitable, it is good to use idioms, like today’s fishy sayings in your speech!
What does the idiom “a fish in a pond” mean?
Fish in a pond suggests someone who is comfortable and familiar in their current surroundings, much like a fish in its natural habitat. If you have been working the same job for a long time, you know everybody there, and you have gained some authority, you could be described as “a big fish in a small pond”.
Is “swim like a fish” an idiom?
No, swim like a fish is not considered an idiom. It is a common simile used to describe someone’s ability to swim very well. Here is an example sentence:
Eve can swim like a fish. She has taken swimming lessons since she was five.
What does the idiom “fish for” mean?
The idiom “fish for” means to try to obtain or elicit something, often information or reactions, by subtly or indirectly asking questions or making comments. For example, if you got a new haircut, and wanted your friend to compliment you – but you were too direct about it, your friend might say:
Are you fishing for compliments?!
What are some sayings about catching a big fish?
Two sayings about catching a big fish are:
- “There’s nothing like the thrill of landing a big one!”
- “You know you’ve caught a big fish when your arms ache from reeling it in!”
Fishy sayings: A boost to your daily English speaking
I hope these fishy sayings have been of interest to you. Remember, that if we can use idioms in our daily English speaking, we can sound more interesting or meaningful. One thing I have learned through my experience of teaching English and speaking it as a native, though, is that overuse is a problem. Don’t use idioms all of the time. Mix things up for variety.
Never a dull moment when learning about fish!
I hope you can keep learning about fish, and fish vocabulary, as it is so interesting. Did you know that the largest fish is the whale shark? I didn’t really think of them as fish, but there you are!
How did you get on with the idioms quiz? If your score was not perfect, don’t worry! Have fun with them, say them out loud plenty of times, and try again!
Idioms quiz answers:
1. Fishbowl 2. Shark 3. Fish tale 4. Slippery as an eel 5. Loan shark 6. Fishy 7. Shooting fish in a barrel 8. Fish kiss 9. Sardines in a can 10. Fish out of water 11. pool shark 12. Small fry 13. Whale of a time 14. Odd fish 15. Fish for compliments 16. Fish up