[fish] 
noun, plural (especially collectively
) fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) fish⋅es, verb | 1. | any of various cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates, having gills, commonly fins, and typically an elongated body covered with scales. |
| 2. | (loosely) any of various other aquatic animals. |
| 3. | the flesh of fishes used as food. |
| 4. | Fishes, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Pisces. |
| 5. | Informal. a person: an odd fish; a poor fish. |
| 6. | a long strip of wood, iron, etc., used to strengthen a mast, joint, etc. |
| 7. | Cards Slang. an incompetent player whose incompetence can be exploited. |
| 8. | Slang. a dollar: He sold the car for 500 fish. |
| 9. | Slang. a new prison inmate. |
| 10. | to catch or attempt to catch (any species of fish or the like). |
| 11. | to try to catch fish in (a stream, lake, etc.): Let's fish the creek. |
| 12. | to draw, as by fishing (often fol. by up or out): He fished a coin out of his pocket for the boy. |
| 13. | to search through, as by fishing. |
| 14. | Nautical.
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| 15. | to catch or attempt to catch fish, as by angling or drawing a net. |
| 16. | to search carefully: He fished through all his pockets but his wallet was gone. |
| 17. | to seek to obtain something indirectly or by artifice: to fish for compliments; to fish for information. |
| 18. | to search for or attempt to catch onto something under water, in mud, etc., by the use of a dredge, rake, hook, or the like. |
| 19. | to attempt to recover detached tools or other loose objects from an oil or gas well. |
| 20. | fish out, to deplete (a lake, stream, etc.) of fish by fishing. |
| 21. | drink like a fish, to drink alcoholic beverages to excess: Nobody invites him out because he drinks like a fish. |
| 22. | fish in troubled waters, to take advantage of troubled or uncertain conditions for personal profit. |
| 23. | fish or cut bait, to choose a definite course of action, esp. to decide whether to participate in or retreat from an activity. |
| 24. | fish out of water, a person out of his or her proper or accustomed environment: He felt like a fish out of water in an academic atmosphere. |
| 25. | neither fish nor fowl, having no specific character or conviction; neither one nor the other. |
| 26. | other fish to fry, other matters requiring attention: When it was time to act, they had other fish to fry. |
| fish (fĭsh) n. pl. fish or fish·es
v. intr.
fish outTo deplete (a lake, for example) of fish by fishing. Idiom(s): fish in troubled watersTo try to take advantage of a confused situation. Idiom(s): fish or cut bait Informal To proceed with an activity or abandon it altogether. Idiom(s): like a fish out of waterCompletely unfamiliar with one's surroundings or activity. Idiom(s): neither fish nor fowlHaving no specific characteristics; indefinite. Idiom(s): other fish to fry Informal Other matters to attend to: He declined to come along to the movie, saying he had other fish to fry. [Middle English, from Old English fisc.] |
Make a decision now; stop hesitating. To cut bait is to stop fishing.
fish
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Fish or cut bait
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"Of all diversions ... fishing is the worst qualified to amuse a man who is at once indolent and impatient." [Scott, 1814]
fish (fĭsh) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) Plural fish or fishes Any of numerous cold-blooded vertebrate animals that live in water. Fish have gills for obtaining oxygen, a lateral line for sensing pressure changes in the water, and a vertical tail. Most fish are covered with scales and have limbs in the form of fins. Fish were once classified together as a single group, but are now known to compose numerous evolutionarily distinct classes, including the bony fish, cartilaginous fish, jawless fish, lobe-finned fish, and placoderms. |
fish or cut bait
Either proceed with an activity or abandon it completely. For example, You've been putting off calling him for hours; either fish or cut bait. This expression, often uttered as an imperative, alludes to a fisherman who should either be actively trying to catch fish or cutting up bait for others to use. It was first recorded in the Congressional Record (1876), when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a vote on a bill legalizing the silver dollar: "I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to 'fish or cut bait.'" A vulgar synonym from the 1940s is shit or get off the pot.