What is the meaning of kettle of fish?
a bad state of affairs : mess
Definition of kettle of fish
1 : a bad state of affairs : mess. 2 : something to be considered or dealt with : matter a different kettle of fish.
Is kettle of fish a saying?
The expression “a kettle of fish” means “a real mess.” If you accidentally scheduled three dates on the same night, you might call it a kettle of fish. Most people who use this expression say either “a fine kettle of fish” or “a pretty kettle of fish,” though what they’re describing isn’t fine or pretty.
How would you use a different kettle of fish in a sentence?
Oh, he’s a different kettle of fish altogether.” I suppose we could start looking at buying a house now that our baby is on the way, but that’s an entirely different kettle of fish! I know you think you’re some hotshot just because you worked in television once, but working on a film is a different kettle of fish.
How did the expression kettle of fish come about?
The custom was described by Thomas Newte in his Tour of England and Scotland in 1785: “It is customary for the gentlemen who live near the Tweed to entertain their neighbours and friends with a Fete Champetre, which they call giving ‘a kettle of fish’.
Where does the saying a different kettle of fish?
The phrase “a different kettle of fish” is originated from the United Kingdom. However, it is also a widely used phrase in the United States. The origin of “a different kettle of fish” is traced back to Thomas Newte’s A Tour in England and Scotland published in 1785. It is stated to have mentioned it.
Who said pretty kettle of fish?
The term appears in Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews (1742) and works by Dickens, Hardy, Shaw, and many others, but it may now be dying out, at least in America.
Why is it called a kettle?
Etymology. The word kettle originates from Old Norse ketill “cauldron”.
Where does the saying different kettle of fish?
Why is a fish kettle different?
THIS IS a variant of the far more common “pretty kettle of fish”, meaning a disagreeable situation, which goes back at least to the early 18th century. In former centuries a “kettle” was a metal pot used for boiling liquids or cooking, and a fish-kettle was a common household utensil.
What is the synonym of kettle?
What is another word for kettle?
| steamer | pan |
|---|---|
| caldron | cauldron |
| fish kettle |
Who said that’s a fine kettle of fish?
What the meaning of chew the fat?
idiom informal. to talk with someone in an informal and friendly way: We sat in a bar most of the evening just chewing the fat. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
Who said a fine kettle of fish?
The term “fine kettle of fish” may refer to the method of cooking a fish. The earliest recorded use of the expression “a pretty kettle of fish” in this sense occurs in Book 1 of The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, published in 1742, followed by a use in another novel by the same writer, Henry Fielding.
What is a group of fish called?
A group of mixed species of fish is called a “shoal”.
A group of fish that are not the same species is called a shoal of fish. The word ‘shoal’ also comes from the Dutch word ‘schole’.
What is a antonym for kettle?
Antonyms. fill natural elevation hollowness full. pot teakettle.
What is a big kettle called?
A cauldron is a large kettle hung over an open fire, usually on an arc-shaped hanger called a bail.
Have all ears meaning?
ready and eager to listen
phrase. If someone says that they are all ears, they mean that they are ready and eager to listen. [informal] See full dictionary entry for ear.
What is meaning of chewing the cud?
to think slowly and carefully about something: He sat for a moment chewing the cud before he spoke. Thinking and contemplating. a brown study idiom.
What are the 3 groups of fish?
Fishes are typically divided into three groups: superclass Agnatha (jawless fishes), class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes), and superclass Osteichthyes (bony fishes). The latter two groups are included within the infraphylum Gnathostomata, a category containing all jawed vertebrates.
What do you call multiple fish?
The plural of fish is usually fish. When referring to more than one species of fish, especially in a scientific context, you can use fishes as the plural.
What is another word for kettle?
What is similar to a kettle?
In this page you can discover 27 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for kettle, like: boiler, caldron (a large kettle), tympani, vessel, vat, kettledrum, timpani, kettle-hole, kettleful, teakettle and pot.
What means at the drop of a hat?
Immediately, without delay
Immediately, without delay, as in We were ready to pack our bags and go on vacation at the drop of a hat. This phrase probably alludes to signaling the start of a race or other contest by dropping a hat. [
Is a piece of cake meaning?
something easily done
Definition of piece of cake
: something easily done : cinch, breeze.
How many stomachs do cows have?
Quick facts. Ruminant stomachs have four compartments: the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum and the abomasum. Rumen microbes ferment feed and produce volatile fatty acids, which is the cow’s main energy source.