© 2012 Farlex, Inc. […] “A pretty kiddle of fish” corrupted into “A pretty kettle of fish”, a fine mess has been made, a dilemma. GRAMMAR . Well first of all, a fish kettle is not the same as a common modern kettle used for boiling water for a nice cup of tea. Search a fine kettle of fish and thousands of other words in English definition and synonym dictionary from Reverso. In plain English, a master is responsible for the acts of his servants, and he must either be sent to the right-about by the railway authorities hereafter, or boil a very different kettle of fish. There is another origin from Scotland, a newspaper Carlisle Patriot published in June 1889. A Fine Kettle of Fish. The noun kiddle has been used in various forms; for example, the English antiquarian and lexicographer Thomas Blount (1618-79) wrote, in Nomo-lexikon: A Law-dictionary (1670): Kiddle, Kidel, or Kedel: A Dam, or open Wear [= weir] in a River, with a loop or narrow cut in it, accommodated for the laying of Weels [= traps], or other Engins to catch Fish. HAPPY AS LARRY - [Q] From Karl Haas; a similar question came from James Cartwright: “Who is Larry and why is he happy?” [A] A neat question, but American readers in particular will need some background before I can address it. By: sharecropperbob: Every year I take up my soup spoon, adjust my bib and continue my search for the best tasting seafood gumbo I can find. – In The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams (1742), by Henry Fielding: The surgeon had likewise at last visited him, and washed and dressed his wounds, and was now come to acquaint Mr. Tow-wouse, that his guest was in such extreme danger of his life, that he scarce saw any hopes of recovery.—Here’s a pretty kettle of fish, cries Mrs. Tow-wouse, you have brought upon us! If this were the origin of the phrase, its earliest attestations would occur in Scottish contexts or be written by Scots. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/fine+kettle+of+fish. – between the devil and the deep blue sea My husband is not here to meet me at the train station, and there's no phone here for me to call him. – mistaken etymology of ‘not to give a XXXX’ in the Oxford English Dictionary Alan: Oh, no! According to an erroneous theory, in the phrase, Prospects and observations: on a tour in England and Scotland: natural, oeconomical, and literary, , by the Scottish minister and author William Thomson (1746-1817), writing under the pseudonym of. He is come again," sang Mrs. Bennet, peering out the breakfast room window. […] Fishermen corruptly call them Kettles. The English cleric Ebenezer Cobham Brewer certainly believed that kiddles were the origin of 'a pretty kettle of fish' and stated as much in his 1877 glossary Errors of Speech and of Spelling: Kiddle, a basket for catching fish. Also, a fine or pretty kettle of fish. Only at Word Panda dictionary Only at Word Panda dictionary 0% By the mid 18th century, the novelist Henry Fielding was using the phrase to mean a muddle. kettle of fish - Meaning "mess, muddle," the phrase is from "a pretty kettle of fish," a corruption of "kiddle of fish," in which a kiddle is a basket set in the opening of a weir for catching fish. – original meaning of ‘to see the elephant’ – origin of ‘to turn a blind eye’. An unpleasant or messy predicament, as in They haven't spoken in years, and they're assigned to adjoining seats-that's a fine kettle of fish. – meaning and origin of ‘the devil to pay’ "Stagger your deadlines, or they'll stagger you." Well, that's a pretty kettle of fish. Any given situation or issue. Furthermore, these outings must have been enjoyable events; otherwise they would simply not have taken place. There are actually two common idioms based around the phrase a kettle of fish. – the authentic origin of ‘to rain cats and dogs’ He comes across Lizzy at an awkward moment, but this is not the only pickle she will find herself in this day!) This is a fine kettle of fish. It is therefore most likely that the phrase a pretty kettle of fish originally referred to a net full of fish, which, when drawn up with its contents, is suggestive of confusion, flurry and disorder. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. This term alludes to the Scottish riverside picnic called kettle of fish, where freshly caught salmon were boiled and eaten out of … … the authentic origin of ‘to rain cats and dogs’, origin of ‘to buttonhole’ (to detain in conversation), meaning and origin of ‘the devil to pay’, original meaning of ‘to see the elephant’, the mistaken origin of ‘white elephant’ in the, a curious case of misunderstanding in the, mistaken etymology of ‘not to give a XXXX’ in the, the multiple meanings and origins of ‘P’s and Q’s’, meaning and origin of ‘Shanks’s pony’, the apple of one’s eye – la prunelle de ses yeux, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence. Learn more, including how we use cookies and how you can change your settings. The mackerel here are caught in large fixed nets, called kettle nets; hence, probably, the phrase ‘What a pretty kettle of fish!’, (The Oxford English Dictionary quotes this passage under the heading kiddle but curiously omits the conclusion, “hence, probably, the phrase ‘What a pretty kettle of fish!’”.). (idiomatic) A situation which is recognized as different from or as an alternative to some other situation, and which is not necessarily unfavorable. See also related terms for mess. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. See also, the meaning and origin of ' a kettle of fish '. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Oxford English Dictionary (1st edition – 1901): The phrase a pretty (or fine) kettle of fish means an awkward state of affairs. The fish, thus prepared, is very firm, and accounted a most delicious food. "Fine kettle of fish" is an idiomatic English expression describing a difficult predicament or a confusing, chaotic state of affairs. We are like to have a funeral at our own expense. , cries Mrs. Tow-wouse, you have brought upon us! From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kettle of Fish is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Claudia Myers and starring Matthew Modine and Gina Gershon. has been used in various forms; for example, the English antiquarian and lexicographer Thomas Blount (1618-79) wrote, in, : A Dam, or open Wear [= weir] in a River, with a loop or narrow cut in it, accommodated for the laying of Weels [= traps], or other Engins to catch, . a pretty kettle of fish = a fine kettle of fish an awkward state of affairs – informal In late 18th-century Scotland, a kettle of fish was a large saucepan of fish, typically freshly caught salmon, cooked at Scottish picnics and the term was also applied to the picnic itself. Used with specific modifiers depending on the context, especially "fine" or "pretty" for something difficult or awkward, and "different" or "another" for something dissimilar. I analyzed the phenomenon of aphorisms and epigrams, both serious and whimsical, and coined some of my own: "There's nothing worse than unrequited love--except a margin call." We don't have anything to serve our guests as a main dish. Example sentences with kettle of fish … , which, when drawn up with its contents, is suggestive of confusion, flurry and disorder. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. – to buy a pig in a poke vs. to let the cat out of the bag This erroneous theory might be due to the fact that in the Oxford English Dictionary, kettle of fish in the sense of picnic party and the phrase a pretty kettle of fish are under the same headword [see footnote]. Explained: How EU-UK talks on British waters turned into a fine kettle of fish; Explained: How EU-UK talks on British waters turned into a fine kettle of fish EU negotiators have said that if the UK refuses to share its waters, the bloc would deny special access to British fisheries to the European single market.

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