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type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wiktionary.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fish_out_of_water"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wiktionary Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin-vector-legacy mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-fish_out_of_water rootpage-fish_out_of_water skin-vector action-view"><div id="mw-page-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="mw-head-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="content" class="mw-body" role="main"> <a id="top"></a> <div id="siteNotice"></div> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">fish out of water</span></h1> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body"> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wiktionary, the free dictionary</div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="contentSub2"></div> <div id="jump-to-nav"></div> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#mw-head">Jump to navigation</a> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#searchInput">Jump to search</a> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="disambig-see-also"><i>See also:</i> <b class="Latn"><a href="/wiki/fish-out-of-water" title="fish-out-of-water">fish-out-of-water</a></b></div> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#English"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">English</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#Etymology"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Etymology</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Pronunciation"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Pronunciation</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#Noun"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">Noun</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-5"><a href="#Translations"><span class="tocnumber">1.3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Translations</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="English">English</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=fish_out_of_water&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: English"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Etymology">Etymology</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=fish_out_of_water&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Etymology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Earliest recorded uses: "fish out of the water" (1585, <i>Lamentable Complaint of Commonality</i>), "Fishes out of the Water" (1613, Samuel Purchas, <i>Pilgrimage</i>).<sup id="cite_ref-OED_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-OED-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Earliest use of metaphor by Chaucer in <i>The Canterbury Tales: Prologue</i> (<i>c.</i> 1405) as "fissh þ<sup>t</sup> is waterlees".<sup id="cite_ref-OED_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-OED-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <p>Compare also the antonymous <span class="etyl"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" class="extiw" title="w:French language">French</a></span> <i class="Latn mention" lang="fr"><a href="/wiki/comme_un_poisson_dans_l%27eau#French" title="comme un poisson dans l'eau">comme un poisson dans l’eau</a></i>, <span class="etyl"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language" class="extiw" title="w:German language">German</a></span> <i class="Latn mention" lang="de"><a href="/wiki/wie_ein_Fisch_im_Wasser#German" title="wie ein Fisch im Wasser">wie ein Fisch im Wasser</a></i>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Pronunciation">Pronunciation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=fish_out_of_water&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Pronunciation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r50165410">.mw-parser-output .k-player .k-attribution{visibility:hidden}</style><table class="audiotable" style="vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; list-style: none; line-height: 1em; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0;"><tbody><tr><td>Audio <span class="ib-brac qualifier-brac">(</span><span class="usage-label-accent"><span class="ib-content"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_English_phonology" class="extiw" title="w:Australian English phonology">General Australian</a></span></span><span class="ib-brac qualifier-brac">)</span><span class="ib-colon qualifier-colon">:</span></td><td class="audiofile"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><audio id="mwe_player_0" controls="" preload="none" data-mw-tmh="" class="mw-file-element" width="175" style="width:175px;" data-durationhint="3" data-mwtitle="en-au-fish_out_of_water.ogg" data-mwprovider="wikimediacommons"><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/En-au-fish_out_of_water.ogg" type="audio/ogg; codecs="vorbis"" data-width="0" data-height="0" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/En-au-fish_out_of_water.ogg/En-au-fish_out_of_water.ogg.mp3" type="audio/mpeg" data-transcodekey="mp3" data-width="0" data-height="0" /></audio></span></span></td><td class="audiometa" style="font-size: 80%;">(<a href="/wiki/File:en-au-fish_out_of_water.ogg" title="File:en-au-fish out of water.ogg">file</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Noun">Noun</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=fish_out_of_water&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Noun"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><span class="headword-line"><strong class="Latn headword" lang="en"><a href="/wiki/fish#English" title="fish">fish</a> <a href="/wiki/out#English" title="out">out</a> <a href="/wiki/of#English" title="of">of</a> <a href="/wiki/water#English" title="water">water</a></strong> (<i>plural</i> <b class="Latn form-of lang-en p-form-of" lang="en"><a href="/wiki/fishes_out_of_water#English" title="fishes out of water">fishes out of water</a></b> <i>or</i> <b class="Latn form-of lang-en p-form-of" lang="en"><strong class="selflink">fish out of water</strong></b>)</span> </p> <ol><li><span class="usage-label-sense"><span class="ib-brac">(</span><span class="ib-content"><a href="/wiki/Appendix:Glossary#idiomatic" title="Appendix:Glossary">idiomatic</a></span><span class="ib-brac">)</span></span> A person in <a href="/wiki/unfamiliar" title="unfamiliar">unfamiliar</a> and often <a href="/wiki/uncomfortable" title="uncomfortable">uncomfortable</a> <a href="/wiki/surroundings" title="surroundings">surroundings</a>. <dl><dd><span class="nyms synonym"><span class="defdate">Synonym:</span> <span class="Latn" lang="en"><a href="/wiki/square_peg_in_a_round_hole#English" title="square peg in a round hole">square peg in a round hole</a></span></span></dd></dl> <ul><li><div class="citation-whole"><span class="cited-source"><span class="None" lang="und"><b>1921</b></span>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Wallace" class="extiw" title="w:Edgar Wallace">Edgar Wallace</a>, chapter 2, in <cite>The Book of All-Power</cite>:</span><dl><dd><div class="h-quotation"><span class="Latn e-quotation cited-passage" lang="en">[I]nto this queer assembly, something of a <b>fish out of water</b> and wholly out of his element, strode Cherry Bim, that redoubtable man.</span></div></dd></dl></div></li> <li><div class="citation-whole"><span class="cited-source"><b>1942</b> May 25, “<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,766627,00.html">Sport: Pitcher Hits Ball</a>”, in <cite>Time</cite>, retrieved <span class="mw-formatted-date" title="2016-10-02">2 October 2016</span>:</span><dl><dd><div class="h-quotation"><span class="Latn e-quotation cited-passage" lang="en">A pitcher at bat is usually considered such a <b>fish out of water</b> that he is expected to foul, ground or strike out.</span></div></dd></dl></div></li> <li><div class="citation-whole"><span class="cited-source"><b>1990</b> September 17, Larry Rohter, quoting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones" class="extiw" title="w:Quincy Jones">Quincy Jones</a>, “‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ Puts Rap in Mainstream”, in <cite>The New York Times</cite>‎<sup><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/17/arts/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-puts-rap-in-mainstream.html">[1]</a></sup>, <small><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331">→ISSN</a></small>:</span><dl><dd><div class="h-quotation"><span class="Latn e-quotation cited-passage" lang="en">“The basis of this show is <b>fish out of water</b>,” said the executive producer, Quincy Jones, the music impresario who has never before put his name on a television series but whose work as producer of Michael Jackson's albums won him respect in Hollywood as a canny judge of public tastes.</span></div></dd></dl></div></li> <li><div class="citation-whole"><span class="cited-source"><b>2004</b> December 22, Jennifer Medina, “<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/22/nyregion/housewives-try-this-for-desperation.html">Housewives, Try This for Desperation</a>”, in <cite>New York Times</cite>, retrieved <span class="mw-formatted-date" title="2016-10-02">2 October 2016</span>:</span><dl><dd><div class="h-quotation"><span class="Latn e-quotation cited-passage" lang="en">Many stay-at-home fathers find that they are <b>fish out of water</b>, too.</span></div></dd></dl></div></li></ul></li></ol> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Translations">Translations</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=fish_out_of_water&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Translations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="NavFrame" id="Translations-a_person_in_unfamiliar,_and_often_uncomfortable,_surroundings"><div class="NavHead" style="text-align:left">a person in unfamiliar, and often uncomfortable, surroundings</div><div class="NavContent"><table class="translations" role="presentation" data-gloss="a person in unfamiliar, and often uncomfortable, surroundings"><tbody><tr><td class="translations-cell multicolumn-list" colspan="3"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r81584270">.mw-parser-output .translations{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .translations-cell{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-lightyellow,#FFFFe0);vertical-align:top;text-align:left}</style> <ul><li>Afrikaans: <span class="Latn" lang="af"><a href="/w/index.php?title=soos_%27n_vis_op_dro%C3%AB_grond&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="soos 'n vis op droë grond (page does not exist)">soos 'n vis op droë grond</a></span><span class="tpos"> <a href="https://af.wiktionary.org/wiki/soos_%27n_vis_op_dro%C3%AB_grond" class="extiw" title="af:soos 'n vis op droë grond">(af)</a></span> <span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">(</span>literally <span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">“</span><span class="mention-gloss">like a fish on dry ground</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">”</span><span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">)</span></li> <li>Catalan: <span class="Latn" lang="ca"><a href="/w/index.php?title=peix_fora_d%27aigua&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="peix fora d'aigua (page does not exist)">peix fora d'aigua</a></span> <span class="gender"><abbr title="masculine gender">m</abbr></span></li> <li>Finnish: <span class="Latn" lang="fi"><a href="/wiki/kuin_kala_kuivalla_maalla#Finnish" title="kuin kala kuivalla maalla">kuin kala kuivalla maalla</a></span></li> <li>German: <span class="Latn" lang="de"><a href="/w/index.php?title=wie_ein_Fisch_auf_dem_Trockenen&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="wie ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen (page does not exist)">wie ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen</a></span> <span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">(</span>literally <span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">“</span><span class="mention-gloss">like a fish on dry ground</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">”</span><span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">)</span>, <i>but less common, more usually</i> <span class="Latn" lang="de"><a href="/wiki/sich#German" title="sich">sich</a> <a href="/wiki/fremd#German" title="fremd">fremd</a> <a href="/wiki/f%C3%BChlen#German" title="fühlen">fühlen</a></span> <span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">(</span>literally <span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">“</span><span class="mention-gloss">to feel foreign, strange</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">”</span><span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">)</span>, <span class="Latn" lang="de"><a href="/wiki/sich#German" title="sich">sich</a> <a href="/wiki/nicht#German" title="nicht">nicht</a> <a href="/wiki/zu_Hause#German" title="zu Hause">zu Hause</a> <a href="/wiki/f%C3%BChlen#German" title="fühlen">fühlen</a></span> <span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">(</span>literally <span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">“</span><span class="mention-gloss">not to feel at home</span><span class="mention-gloss-double-quote">”</span><span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">)</span></li> <li>Italian: <span class="Latn" lang="it"><a href="/wiki/pesce_fuor_d%27acqua#Italian" title="pesce fuor d'acqua">pesce fuor d'acqua</a></span></li> <li>Japanese: <span class="Jpan" lang="ja"><a href="/w/index.php?title=%E9%99%B8%E3%81%AB%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%8C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E6%B2%B3%E7%AB%A5&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="陸に上がった河童 (page does not exist)">陸に上がった河童</a></span> <span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">(</span><span class="tr">おかにあがったかっぱ, oka ni agatta kappa</span><span class="mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren">)</span></li> <li>Malay: <span class="Latn" lang="ms"><a href="/w/index.php?title=seperti_rusa_masuk_kampung&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="seperti rusa masuk kampung (page does not exist)">seperti rusa masuk kampung</a></span>, <span class="Latn" lang="ms"><a href="/w/index.php?title=bagai_kerbau_terkejut_oleh_gong&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="bagai kerbau terkejut oleh gong (page does not exist)">bagai kerbau terkejut oleh gong</a></span>, <span class="Latn" lang="ms"><a href="/w/index.php?title=tak_pernah_masuk_gelanggang_bergung&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="tak pernah masuk gelanggang bergung (page does not exist)">tak pernah masuk gelanggang bergung</a></span></li> <li>Maltese: <span class="Latn" lang="mt"><a href="/w/index.php?title=%C4%A7uta_barra_mill-ilma&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="ħuta barra mill-ilma (page does not exist)">ħuta barra mill-ilma</a></span></li> <li>Portuguese: <span class="Latn" lang="pt"><a href="/w/index.php?title=como_peixe_fora_d%27%C3%A1gua&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="como peixe fora d'água (page does not exist)">como peixe fora d'água</a></span></li> <li>Spanish: <span class="Latn" lang="es"><a href="/w/index.php?title=como_pez_fuera_del_agua&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="como pez fuera del agua (page does not exist)">como pez fuera del agua</a></span></li></ul> </td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="References">References</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=fish_out_of_water&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-OED-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-OED_1-0">1.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-OED_1-1">1.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text">“to be like a fish out of water” under <span class="citation-whole"><span class="cited-source">“<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/7754126200">fish, <i>n.</i><sup>1</sup></a>”, in <cite><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary#Electronic_versions" class="extiw" title="w:Oxford English Dictionary">OED Online</a> <span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Lock-red.svg" class="mw-file-description" 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