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one man's fish is another man's poisson

one man's fish is another man's poisson

9.9
People like different things
  • idiom
translation icon : para unos es pescado, para otros es pescado
  • For some people, a quiet evening is perfect, but one man's fish is another man's poisson.

Examples

  • You may find modern art boring, but one man's fish is another man's poisson.

  • He disliked the trendy restaurant, but one man's fish is another man's poisson.

  • In music, one man's fish is another man's poisson; what's popular for some may annoy others.

  • Remember, one man's fish is another man's poisson!

  • Some people love spicy food, while one man's fish is another man's poisson in their eyes.

  • Many enjoy pop music, but for others, one man's fish is another man's poisson.

  • She adores winter, but one man's fish is another man's poisson when it comes to preferences.

Synonyms

it takes all kinds
vsone man's fish is another man's poisson
  • Informal
1 6.9

People are different and that is normal

focuses on differing likes and values rather than general personality variety

Surface Forms

Morphology

one + man's + fish + be + another + man's + poisson

The comparative template 'one man's X is another man's Y' gives a structural cue that tastes or values differ, so a learner who recognises this pattern could infer a general meaning of differing preferences. However the expression is proverb-like and metaphorical (and here playfully bilingual with French 'poisson'), so the specific idiomatic nuance is not fully predictable from the literal parts alone.

Etymology

One man's fish is another man's poisson is a fun twist on the old saying 'one man's meat is another man's poison.' It creates a clear picture: one person loves fish, while another hears poisson, the French word that looks like 'poison', and dislikes it, so the phrase shows that people like different things.