Fishing as a sport is when you catch fish but release them back into the water after.

Fishing idioms and expressions

Many idioms originated from fishing and here is a list of them with examples.

  • drop someone a line
    meaning – contact someone by phone or writing
    example – Alex said drop him a line if you want to do something this weekend.
  • fish for compliments
    meaning – try and elicit compliments from someone
    example – Kirsty always fishes for compliments; she is so annoying.
  • off the hook
    meaning – safe from trouble, blame, difficulty etc.
    example – Jenny has offered to sit in on the meeting, so I’m off the hook.
  • open a can of worms
    meaning – do/say something that will cause more trouble than it’s worth
    example – If the owner’s unqualified daughter gets the promotion, it will open a can of worms.
  • plenty more fish in the sea
    meaning – when a relationship fails, there are more people to have relationships with
    example – Everyone is telling me there’s plenty more fish in the sea, but I only want Hugh.
  • reel in
    meaning – catch a fish and pull it to land
    example – Let’s go to a club and reel in the ladies.

Fishing idioms and expressions with pictures

fishing idioms and expressions list in English
fishing idioms - drop someone a line
fishing idioms - fish for compliments
fishing expressions - off the hook
common fishing idioms and sayings - open a can of worms meaning
fishing expressions - plenty more fish in the sea
fishing sayings - reel in

You can download a table of fishing idioms and expressions below.

If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more sports idioms by clicking on the links below.