like a fish without a bicycle
- idiom
- Informal
:
como un pez sin bicicleta
- She declared that needing approval from others was like a fish without a bicycle—completely unnecessary.
Examples
-
Having a man around is like a fish without a bicycle.
-
Insisting that all employees wear ties seemed like a fish without a bicycle to the new manager.
-
For many, learning to cook before moving out is like a fish without a bicycle, as takeout is always an option.
-
Her comments about needing a partner were like a fish without a bicycle.
-
For many women, asking for permission was like a fish without a bicycle; it felt completely irrelevant to their independence.
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He felt that having extra assistance on his project was like a fish without a bicycle, as he was capable enough on his own.
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To her, the idea of marrying someone just for financial support was like a fish without a bicycle; she valued her independence too much.
Synonyms
2
6.7
Not important to the main point
1
5.6
A thing that is not needed
1
9.9
Something that has no real purpose or value
An unclear thing that does not help you understand or decide
Antonyms
How Necessary
Surface Forms
Morphology
like + a + fish + without + a + bicycle
The literal parts ('fish', 'without', 'bicycle') make the absurdity clear — fish have no use for bicycles — so a learner who knows the words can plausibly infer the comparison means something is unnecessary. However, the expression relies on ironic, cultural/rhetorical reasoning (a simile used as hyperbole), so the intended pragmatic meaning ('completely unnecessary' or 'doesn't need') is not fully predictable from the words alone.
Etymology
Like a fish without a bicycle creates a clear picture: a fish would never need a bicycle because it lives in water, so the idea is silly. That's why the phrase means 'completely unnecessary' or 'irrelevant' and is often used to say women do not need men.