A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

another as good behind. 1822 SCOTT Nigel III. x. Ye need not sigh sae deeply. .. There

are as gude fish in the sea as ever came out of it. 1944 W. S. MAUGHAM Razor’s Edge

iii. I’m a philosopher and I know there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out. I

don’t blame her. You’re young. I’ve been young too. 2000 Washington Post 30 Nov. C11

(Garfield comic strip) ‘Yesiree, Garfield, there are lot of women out there. Yesiree. ..

Plenty of fish in the sea. I’ll just cast out the old line.’ ‘Your bait’s dead.’ love, blighted

All is FISH that comes to the net

Everything can be used to advantage. The is frequently replaced by a possessive pronoun
or phrase. Similar in form and sense to all is GRIST that comes to the mill.

c 1520 in Ballads from MSS (1868–72) I. 95 Alle ys ffysshe that commyth to the

nett. 1564 w. BULLEIN Dialogue against Fever 70 Takyng vp commoditie [opportunity],

refusyng nothyng: all is fishe that commeth to the nette. 1680 BUNYAN Mr. Badman 19

What was his fathers could not escape his fingers, all was fish that came to his net. 1848

DICKENS Dombey & Son ix. ‘All’s fish that comes to your net, I suppose?’ ‘Certainly,’

said Mr. Brogley. ‘But sprats an’t whales, you know.’ 1936 A. CHRISTIE Murder in

Mesopotamia xix. I don’t know that she cares for one more than the other. .. All’s fish

that comes to her net at present. gains and losses; opportunity

fish see also BETTER are small fish than an empty dish; BIG fish eat little fish; the CAT
would eat fish, but would not wet her feet; when the LAST tree is cut down, the last fish
eaten,.. you will realize that you cannot eat money; LITTLE fish are sweet; a WOMAN
without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.

fish-guts see KEEP your own fish-guts for your own sea-maws.

fit see if the CAP fits, wear it; ONE size does not fit all; if the SHOE fits, wear it.

fix see if it ain’t BROKE, don’t fix it.

flag see TRADE follows the flag.

flattery see IMITATION is the sincerest form of flattery.

flea see BIG fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite them; if you LIE down with