odd fish
1
8.2
- noun
- Informal
- She's an odd fish at the best of times.
Examples
-
He always wore mismatched socks, which made him seem like an odd fish among his friends.
-
People often called him an odd fish for his unique perspective on life and unconventional hobbies.
-
At the party, her quirky dance moves and unusual stories made her quite the odd fish in the crowd.
Synonyms
168
7.1
Something that is not normal or expected
150
4.1
An interesting or unusual person you notice because of how they act
138
7.0
A person who acts in a strange or unusual way
37
8.8
A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way
20
7.8
A person who seems strange and makes others uncomfortable
20
8.0
A person who seems strange and cannot be relied on
18
7.2
A person who acts in a strange way
14
5.9
A person who does not fit in with a group
10
6.1
A person who is clearly different from others and does not fit in
10
7.0
A person who behaves in an unusual way that others find odd
4
9.9
A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way
4
7.7
A person who is not like most people in behavior or ideas
2
6.0
A person with unusual habits or behavior
2
6.8
A person who acts in a way people think is strange
1
9.9
A person who behaves very strangely
1
9.9
A person who acts strange and makes others uncomfortable
1
9.9
A person who acts in a strange way that others find unpleasant
1
8.6
A person who acts a little strange or different
1
6.7
A person with odd habits who others like
1
9.9
A person who seems strange to other people
1
9.4
A person who acts in an odd or unusual way
1
9.6
A person who acts in a strange or unusual way
1
9.9
A person who behaves in a wild or strange way
A person who is very unusual and stands out from others
Antonyms
How Eccentric
Surface Forms
Morphology
odd + fish
The adjective 'odd' clearly means peculiar, so the phrase signals strangeness, but 'fish' here is a metaphoric reference to a person rather than its literal animal sense. Because the person-reading of 'fish' is a figurative extension that may be inferred from context but is not strictly compositional or cross-linguistically transparent, a B1 learner who only knows the words might sometimes guess the meaning but not reliably.
Etymology
Odd fish may come from the picture of a fish that looks odd among many others, a fish that does not belong or seems out of place. That's why the phrase is used for a person who is 'unusual' or 'strange'.