gone fishing
1
8.1
- idiom
- Informal
Synonyms
185
3.1
Not able to pay attention because your mind is on other things
29
5.0
Absorbed in thought and not aware of your surroundings
12
4.0
Not paying attention because your mind is somewhere else
2
5.9
A person who often does not pay attention and forgets small things like keys
1
5.8
Likely to lose attention when other things happen
1
7.8
Easily distracted and not paying full attention
Antonyms
How Attentive
Surface Forms
Morphology
gone + fishing
The literal composition ('gone' = away/not present; 'fishing' = engaged in a leisure activity) readily signals physical absence, so a learner who knows the words can infer someone is not present or paying attention. However, the extension to a figurative state of being mentally disengaged is metaphorical and pragmatically conditioned, so the exact inattentive meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom gone fishing paints a picture of someone who has literally gone fishing, so they have left the room or task and their mind is somewhere else. That's why we say someone has 'gone fishing' when they are 'inattentive' or 'not concentrating'.