If you think about this, you can figure it out. If fish are trapped in a barrel, how could they get away from a gun? It means something is ridiculously easy.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agojump a lots
To talk fast.
In the old days before individually wrapped servings of everything, many foodstuffs were shipped in barrels, and sold from the barrel. Pickles, for example; the merchant would open the top of the barrel, and customers would reach into the barrel with tongs and take the pickle they wanted. Since the customers could easily see the pickles, they would normally pick a good-looking pickle, leaving the less desirable ones behind. So, the pickles at the "bottom of the barrel" were the ones that nobody else wanted. In trying to pick up one of these least-desirable pickles, the customer would "scrape the bottom of the barrel". So, to "scrape the bottom of the barrel" is to have selected one of the least-liked options.
to want to do something; a wanting to entertain oneself
Clockwork isn't an idiom that I'm aware of. The work means something that is mechanical, driven by old-fashioned gears and wheels. It can also mean something that runs as smoothly as if mechanical, or something repetitive and mechanical-seeming.
Over a Barrel: helpless, at a disadvantage
It originated from when two men were having a shooting contest. They each said what each other had to shoot. Number 1 said to shoot a bird in a tree and Number 2 said to shoot a fish in a barrel- thinking that it would be very hard. Apparently- shooting fish in a barrel was incredibly easy! This was because the vibration of the water ,once it was shot ,was enough to kill the fish in it! EG: Doing a somersault is like shooting fish in a barrel. It means that something is very easy! While the above answer may be possible, it seems a bit unlikely to me. Prior to the days of refrigeration, fish were packed and stored in large barrels. The barrels were packed to the rim full of fish. As such, any shot the entered the barrel would be guaranteed to hit at least one of them. This being the case, nothing would be easier than shooting fish in a barrel.
to have more important things to do
Don't take an action that will result in harm to yourself that you did not intend.
This is not an idiom. Idioms make little or no sense unless you know the definition. This sentence makes perfect sense, so it is not an idiom. The dead fish smelled so bad that even as high as Heaven, you could smell them.
It means that the thing which is being referred to is totally unnecessary, just like a bicycle is not needed by a fish.
The reference to "fish" in a conversation could be a euphemism to change the topic or introduce a non-sequitur. Similarly, the idiom "like a fish out of water" describes feeling uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation.
The idiom "eagle eye" refers to having an acute eyesight, or an intently watchful eye. It refers to the sharp eyesight of an eagle, which are known for seeing fish from hundreds of feet up.
It is not an idiom, it means your nose is itching.
RFP is not an idiom. It's an abbreviation.
It's not really an idiom. It means "what are you thinking about."
No! Never shoot modern ammo in any steel twist Damascus type barrel. These weren't all that reliable or safe with black powder and definitely can't take the pressure of modern loads.