Fish come in many shapes and sizes，成語中形象鮮明，一個古怪或荒唐的人，可以用 a queer fish。小魚在大海很渺少，大魚在小魚塘卻聲價不同凡響。有權有勢的人物是 a big fish, an important or powerful person in a group or organization。小圈子裏的大人物是 a big fish in a small pond，即是小型組織或弱勢團體中最重要或最有影響力的人物：one of the most important people in a small group or organization, who would have much less power and importance if they were part of a larger group or organization。例如：As the manager of a local company, he enjoys being a big fish in a small pond。美式成語可用同義的a big frog in a small pond。
海裏的魚多的是。There are plenty more fish in the sea：雖然你現在戀愛失敗，世界上還有很多俊男美女，可能是你未來追求成功的對象，還有很多一樣好的人或事物供你選擇。例句：（1）When John broke up with Ann, I told her not to worry. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.（2）It’s too bad that your secretary quit, but there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
Fishy simply means fishlike = dubious or suspect. “The most fishy thing I ever saw” can describe a suspicious circumstance.
Fish for something = to seek some kind of information. You could tell the lawyer was fishing for something from the vague way she asked the questions. The telephone caller was fishing for too much information, so I hung up. 旁敲側擊地打聽；轉彎抹角地謀取。同樣地，也可說：fish for a compliment。
A fish story can be an invented event. Like a tall tale it can exaggerate the size of a fisherman’s catch. A fisherwoman（漁婦）is one who catches fish for her living. A fishwife（賣漁婆）originally selling fish in a fish market is now used to describe a scolding vulgar woman.
魚類是冷血動物。Nearly all fish are cold-blooded creatures whence we have the expression “a cold fish” for an unemotional and dispassionate individual. 最初出現於莎士比亞的作品：The Winter’s Tale《冬天的故事》：”It was thought she was a woman and was turned into a cold fish.” A cold fish is a person who is distant and unfeeling and does not seem very friendly. She does not show her emotions. 一個人看來很像沒有感情，很不友善，冷漠無情，沒有同情心，可以用 a cold fish來形容她。例句：（1）Mary is so dull—a real cold fish. She hardly ever speaks to anyone. She’s a cold fish.（2）He isn’t very demonstrative, but his mother was a cold fish so he probably gets it from her.
A queer fish（British old-fashioned）= a strange person. I knew his father and he was a queer fish too. 古怪的人；荒唐的人。
A kettle of fish means a mess or a difficult predicament, be another/a different kettle of fish. If you say that something or someone is a different kettle of fish, you mean that they are completely different from something or someone else that has been talked about. （1）Andy was never very interested in school, but Anna, now she was a completely different kettle of fish.（2）I’d driven an automatic for years but learning to handle a car with gears was another kettle of fish altogether. 截然不同的人；另一碼事；另外一回事。
A fine/pretty kettle of fish（mainly American）means a difficult situation. That’s a fine kettle of fish—the car won’t start and I have to leave in five minutes.
To fish in troubled waters，這句成語在法文、西班牙文和其他語文也有等同於「渾水摸魚」的說法，meaning to take advantage of turbulent times。
Be like a fish out of water, to feel awkward because you are not familiar with a situation or because you are very different from the people around you. All the other children in the school had rich, middle-class parents, and she was beginning to feel like a fish out of water. 你感到渾身不自在，不能輕鬆自若，因你廁身陌生環境，非常不習慣。離水之魚；在陌生環境不得其所的人。
Be on a fishing expedition（mainly American），你正在嘗試尋找某事的真相或實況，經常以秘密方式進行。
Either fish or cut bait means to get on with it and make a decision，當機立斷，繼續釣魚，或者即時放棄而離開，勿遲疑不決，拖延時間。
Probably the outstanding characteristics of fish is their watery habit. Almost all fishes breathe by means of gills.
Drink like a fish means to drink alcohol excessively; to be in the habit of drinking alcohol excessively.（1）Jeff really drank like a fish at the party on Saturday.（2）I worry about Nancy; she drinks like a fish. 經常酗酒；豪飲；縱飲。由來是人們一度相信魚不停飲水，因為魚用口呼吸。
Neither fish nor fowl，部分像某類動物，部分又像另一類，很難界定身份，分門別類，或者明白究竟。不倫不類；非驢非馬。Fowl 家禽即是 hen 雞或其他鳥類的古老字。
如魚得水
水，本身也有不少非常流行而又有趣的成語：
Blood is thicker than water 血濃於水：People who are related have stronger obligations to each other than to people outside the family. 例句：If you ever need help, don’t ask your friends. Come home and ask us, your family. Blood runs thicker than water.
Blow someone or something out of the water 徹底摧毀；毀滅：to defeat or completely confuse you or to destroy utterly someone or something, such as a plan. 例句：（1）I will blow him out of the water if he shows up around here.（2）The boss blew the whole idea out of the water.
Dead in the water 人或計劃失敗；無成功希望：without any chance for success. 例句：The project is out of funds and dead in the water for the time being.
In hot water 惹上麻煩：in trouble; in a difficult situation in which you are likely to be punished. 例句：Peter got himself into hot water by being late and the boss is very unhappy.
Tread water 裹足不前；徘徊觀望：to be active without making progress. 例句：I’m just treading water until I get an opportunity to try for a job with more responsibility.
Water something down 加水沖淡；摻水稀釋：（1）to dilute and make something weaker，例句：Jim watered down the orange juice.（2）to reduce the effectiveness or force of something，例句：The new laws watered down the power of the president.
Not hold water 論證、借口、理論等；站不住腳；不合情理：not correct or able to be proved; not to seem to be true or reasonable，例句：John’s story won’t hold water. It sounds too unlikely.
Test the water 摸清底細：to check what people think about something before you start to use it，例句：I mentioned my idea to a couple of friends as a way of testing the water and they were very enthusiastic about it.
本專欄逢周二、五刊登
