Fish Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘devil’ and now look at ‘fish’.

Fish out of water is first seen around 1750.

Nobody was said to drink like a fish until 1744.

We have had other fish to fry since the 1650s.

Fish-eye, a type of lens, is first recorded in 1961.

Fish and chips made its debut in 1876.

Fish-fingers first appeared in 1962.

Fishing boats are seen for the first time in 1732, although they had obviously existed for millennia.

Fishing rods are recorded from the 1550s.

Fishing poles are seen from 1791.

Fish stories have been told since 1819, these being highly exaggerated.

Fish hooks must have used for a long time, although not described as such until the late 14th century.

Fish food is first mentioned in 1860 when it referred to fish eaten by humans as food. Three years later and we find the first reference to food fed to fish.

Nobody described their aquarium as a fish tank until 1921.m

Goldfish have been known as such since the 1690s.

Fishnet has been, from prehistory, something used to catch fish. Since 1881 used to refer to a stitch resembling that seen in a net, and since 1912 a reference to women’s attire.

Fishmongers are first referred to as such in the middle of the 15th century.

Fishbowls make their debut in 1850.

Fishwife, used in an unkind sense to mean simply ‘woman’, is seen from the 1520s – an alternative, which fell out of favour rather soon after, was fish-fag.

Fishponds have been around since the middle of the 15th century, although these will have been for food fish rather than ornamental.

We have been overfishing since 1813.

Panfish, that is a fish of grew the right size to fit in a pan for cooking, is first described in 1814.

Flatfish, not a species but those which appear flat, are first described in 1710.

Jellyfish may be among the oldest lifeforms on the planet, but nobody called them that until 1796. By 1883 the term described someone of weak character.

Fishy, as in ‘questionable’, is an adverb first seen in the late 15th century.

Nagged to Death

Thursday 23rd May 1884 and John Hubbard, a labourer describes as ‘about 50’, of Lower Sandford Street is said to have attempted suicide. The previous evening his wife had accused him of being drunk, yet John was a renowned tee-totaller. A row ensued.

Next day he went to work as usual only to return to more accusations of drunkenness. It is said his wife went ‘out to the back’ – probably to use the privy – and on her return found him on the sofa, a razor in his hand and his throat cut. Upon which he told her “I’ve done it now, you won’t accuse me again”. Mr Welchman was sent for and he dressed the very deep and serious wound – he is not expected to live and, judging by the lack of further information, ceased to be newsworthy.

Beaten to Death

In July 1839 Richard Howe is arrested and remanded in Stafford Gaol awaiting trial on the charge of the assault of his wife Mary. It emerged surgeon Mr C Waddell had been seeing Mary for some two years but saw nothing untoward until 25th July 1838 when he saw her when she complained of severe pains in her head, chest and liver. She told the surgeon her husband had caused the swelling to her face, her abdomen and the difficulty in breathing. He diagnosed the problem as inflammation of the pleura.

Next day he returned to find her condition had worsened and, when he returned on the third day, he found her so ill that her life was threatened. Every single day he returned to check on Mary's condition, doing so until August 5th, by which time he considered her out of danger. Yet still Mr Waddell paid regular visits to check on her condition. On 3rd January 1840 he discovered Mary complaining of severe pains in her side and began the daily visits once more, until 21st January, the day of her death.

The post mortem revealed little but an inflammation to the lungs. Both Waddell and Dr Edward Knight of the General Infirmary agreed the death had been due to the injuries she sustained in July the previous year. The court subsequently heard how she had spoken of her husband as a man fuelled by drink, how he crushed her frail body, and pushed her face down against his own chest until she felt she would be asphyxiated. A neighbour spoke of their many rows. How she heard Richard say he would ensure she would "maintain him" and that Mary had replied she had always "maintained him in his idleness". This had resulted in Richard threatening "if you call me idle again I'll split your face!" Soon after she had heard a scream. When she went to see if help was needed she was ordered out by the husband, a scuffle ensued and the neighbour removed from the house, at which time her punched her in the face. Another witness, William Hall, said he had also suffered at the hands of Richard Howe.

The jury retired and found Richard Howe guilty of Wilful Murder. He was hanged for his crime.