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fine kettle of fish origin

What Does the Idiom "a Bridge Too Far" Mean. – rogermue Dec 16 '15 at 17:04 I think of hundreds of sardines or other small fish all tightly packed in a kettle, just like a can of bait worms. Copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. A can of worms, on the other hand, would be difficult to keep under control. Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content. The term "fine kettle of fish" may refer to the method of cooking a fish. But that’s just a guess. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. Q From Heather Rechtman; Geoff Genford: What is the origin of the expression that’s a different kettle of fish? The house is spacious so we could spread out and plenty of bathrooms which is rare! Is it British or American? What Does the Idiom a "Hornet's Nest" Mean? A fine kettle of fish is defined as a difficult situation, and is more of a congruent conflation with can of worms. In The History of Tom Jones, published in 1749, Fielding uses the expression "a rare kettle of fish." The term has appeared as the title of a 2006 film, a 1998 record, and a large number of fish restaurants. It would make sense of the early examples. 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. In the eighteenth century, though, a kettle was any large vessel used to boil stuff in. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. Noun []. World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–. Against it is the important point that the idiom kettle of fish seems to have been known first in Britain but that kentle is an American form. "A fine mess," popularized by comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, is a more literal representation of the same concept. There was, it seems, a custom by which the gentry on the Scottish border with England would hold a picnic (though that term was not then known) by a river. ‘Jason must inform her that he's gotten himself into a fine kettle of fish by taking over the reigns from Sonny.’ Synonyms predicament , plight, tight corner, tight spot, ticklish situation, tricky situation, problem, quandary, dilemma, crisis, mess, muddle The English language is forever changing. 2003, Problems viewing this page? Someone failed to notice how complicated a situation has gotten, and other people may have to help clean up the mess. A difficult or awkward situation; a mess. This term is believed to come from a Scottish custom of holding a riverside picnic, itself called a “kettle of fish,” where freshly caught live salmon are thrown into a kettle boiling over an open fire and then are eaten out of hand, definitely a messy procedure. What puzzles scholars is how this literal reference became an idiom — assuming, of course, that the phrase comes from the custom, which is far from certain. Meaning: a difficult, annoying or unpleasant situation to be in. Nobody is really sure where the expression comes from, but we do know that the phrase a kettle of fish was originally a literal term. 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 … The other is more of an exclamation: either as a pretty kettle of fish! All rights reserved. And a little later, Thomas Chandler Haliburton of Nova Scotia used it the same way in his Clockmaker: “There’s an end to the Clock trade now, and a pretty kettle of fish I’ve made of it, haven’t I? There is a clue in early examples, in which the term was used in the sense of a mess, muddle or confusion caused by one’s own misguided actions. Fine Kettle of Fish is the best house we have ever stayed in 8 years of vacationing at the lake. The other is more of an exclamation: either as a pretty kettle of fish! Cookies and privacy Affixes dictionary. Kettle of worms is a malaphor (unless of course it is said deliberately, and then it would not. Could be “different kettle of fish” in the mix but I think “fine kettle” is more likely. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. What does a fine kettle of fish expression mean? Once you open the can, it's a chaotic mess. Synonyms: tight corner, tricky situation, dilemma, crisis, back against the wall, mess; Use in a sentence: After firing Jessica, he found himself in a pretty kettle of fish. A Pretty/Fine Kettle Of Fish. I have never heard of "fettle" before, I keep seeing it's " a fine kettle of fish" :) It also needs to be retagged "etymology". Neither use suggests that the expression is remarkable or unusual in any way, so it may be that these represent the earliest published use of an expression which was already common in everyday British speech. Sir Walter Scott described just such a picnic in. It sounds like the expression about a kettle of fish has more to do with volume than organization, though. Could it be that the contents of the kettles of fish looked messy after the fish had broken up under the influence of the boiling water? or a fine kettle of fish!, meaning that some awkward state of affairs has arisen. 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. A huge kettle filled with small fish would be a lot to deal with, but the individual fish could be handled easily. There are actually two common idioms based around the phrase a kettle of fish. In both cases, the meaning is essentially the modern meaning of the expression: an awkward, difficult predicament. One is yours, which means “This is a different matter from the one previously mentioned”. "Fine kettle of fish" is an idiomatic English expression describing a difficult predicament or a confusing, chaotic state of affairs. Definition of a fine kettle of fish in the Idioms Dictionary. Perfect cove for swimming, close to marinas, gorgeous view of the mountain, Sunrises on the left and Sunsets on the right. A messy predicament. The term came to refer to the party at which the fish were served as well as to the method of cooking the fish. "Fine kettle of fish.I'm so hungry even that sounds good, and from the looks of this menu that's probably what I'll get." World Wide Words tries to record at least a part of this shifting wordscape by featuring new words, word histories, words in the news, and the curiosities of native English speech. a fine kettle of fish phrase. Donate via PayPal. 7. In the 18th century, "kettle" referred to any large pot used to boil water or food; the small pot used to boil water for tea was a "tea-kettle." kettle of fish (plural kettles of fish) An awkward situation; a predicament2004, Ellen Raskin, The Westing Game, chapter 13: "That's a fine kettle of fish," he exclaimed, then turned to his dinner companion. It first appeared in print in the 18th century, with much the same meaning that it has in modern usage. To Fish In Troubled Waters. For example, in Captain Francis Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue of 1811, it’s explained like this: “When a person has perplexed his affairs in general, or any particular business, he is said to have made a fine kettle of fish of it”. I shall never hear the last on it”. – Mari-Lou A Oct 9 '15 at 7:17 The origin of fettle is very unclear as Etymonline says. The latter is much older, dating from the eighteenth century, while yours is nineteenth century and seems to be derived from it. Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+fine+kettle+of+fish. I've always heard it as an exasperated "This is a fine kettle of fish you've gotten us into". It can’t be ruled out as a possibility, since the quintal was the usual way of measuring fish catches. I think that's what Laurel and Hardy meant by a "fine mess". The idiom may refer to the messy appearance of a cauldron filled with boiling water and disintegrating fish, or to the character and events of these parties themselves. The other half of this expression seems to be left out. One is yours, which means “This is a different matter from the one previously mentioned”. 8. Tents or marquees are pitched near the flowery banks of the river ... a fire is kindled, and live salmon thrown into boiling kettles”. (I believe that Americans are less familiar with this essential item of kitchenware.) Other words sites This is possible, since quintal was also known in the forms kintal and kentle in Newfoundland and New England, the last of which could easily have been misheard as kettle. Page created 26 Apr. On the other hand, when preceded by adjectives like different or another, it carries the meaning of "something to be considered or dealt with." Other examples include "a pretty pickle" and "a fine how d'you do." I thought I paid the credit card bill, but it turns out that I missed the due date by a week. I used to think the expression "fine kettle of fish" was the equivalent of "opening a can of worms", but maybe it isn't. Well, that's a pretty kettle of fish. Although the exact analogy underlying the expression is unclear, its longevity as a common saying testifies to its enduring popularity. It is unclear exactly why and how "kettle of fish" came to signify a difficult situation. 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’. What Is the Difference between an Idiom and a Phrase? When modified (with irony) by adjectives such as fine, nice, or pretty, kettle of fish refers to a bad state of affairs or a messy situation. These days, especially in Britain and Commonwealth countries, we think of a kettle as a small enclosed container with a handle and spout for boiling water to make our tea. "Kettle of fish" is one of a number of expressions describing a difficult or confusing situation, many of which bear no obvious relation to the subject. or a fine kettle of fish!, meaning that some awkward state of affairs has arisen. It may also be that Fielding, one of the most popular and influential writers of the 18th century, was responsible for popularizing the use of the saying. Primarily heard in US. A mid 18th-century source relates that in northern England, a "kettle of fish" was a type of outdoor meal in which the host cooked salmon in a large cauldron. There are actually two common idioms based around the phrase a kettle of fish. All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ket1.htmLast modified: 26 April 2003. Well, this is a pretty kettle of fish, as Queen Mary said. Subscriber Henk Rietveld wrote to say that he had heard, while working in Newfoundland, that kettle of fish was a corruption of quintal of fish, a measure either of 100 pounds or a hundredweight.

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