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kettle of fish

 
Dictionary: kettle of fish

n., pl., kettles of fish.
  1. A troublesomely awkward or embarrassing situation.
  2. A matter to be reckoned with: Making money and keeping it are two quite different kettles of fish.

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Idioms: kettle of fish
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1.  Also, a fine or pretty kettle of fish. 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. This term alludes to the Scottish riverside picnic called kettle of fish, where freshly caught salmon were boiled and eaten out of hand. [Early 1700s]
2.  a different or another kettle of fish. A very different matter or issue, not necessarily a bad one. For example, They're paying for the meal? That's a different kettle of fish. [First half of 1900s]


WordNet: kettle of fish
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: informal terms for a difficult situation
  Synonyms: fix, hole, jam, mess, muddle, pickle


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more

 

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