neither fish nor fowl

Related to neither fish nor fowl: neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring

neither fish nor fowl

Neither one thing nor another; not belonging to any suitable class or description; not recognizable or characteristic of any one particular thing. We require a solution that directly deals with the issue at hand, but the proposal that has been put forward is, to my mind, neither fish nor fowl.

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

neither fish nor fowl

Cliché not any recognizable thing. The car that they drove up in was neither fish nor fowl. It must have been made out of spare parts. This proposal is neither fish nor fowl. I can't tell what you're proposing.

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

neither fish nor fowl

Also, neither fish nor flesh; neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. Not one or the other, not something fitting any category under discussion. For example, They felt he was neither fish nor fowl-not qualified to lead the department, yet not appropriate to work as a staff member either . This expression appeared in slightly different form in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection ("Neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring") and is thought to allude to food for monks ( fish, because they abstained from meat), for the people ( flesh, or meat), and for the poor ( red herring, a very cheap fish).

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

neither fish nor fowl

If something or someone is neither fish nor fowl, they are difficult to identify or understand, because they seem partly like one thing and partly like another. Brunel's vessel was neither fish nor fowl: a passenger liner too ugly and dirty to offer much beyond novelty value. In the American sports press, this athlete is neither fish nor fowl, neither American nor entirely foreign. Note: People occasionally replace fish with flesh. She didn't look one of anything to Oatsie, neither flesh nor fowl, neither idiot nor intellectual. Note: `Fowl' is an old-fashioned word for a hen or other bird.

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

neither fish nor fowl (nor good red herring)

of indefinite character and difficult to identify or classify.

This expression arose with reference to dietary laws formerly laid down by the Church during periods of fasting or abstinence.

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

neither ˌfish nor ˈfowl

neither one thing nor another: Graduate teaching assistants are neither fish nor fowl, neither completely students nor teachers.

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

neither fish nor fowl

Having no specific characteristics; indefinite.

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

neither fish nor fowl

Having no specific characteristics or category, not easily characterized. The phrase, which was originally “neither fish nor flesh nor fowl,” appeared in slightly different form in a 16th-century collection of proverbs as “neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring”: fish for monks who ate no meat, flesh for people who could afford meat, and cheap herring for the poor. The phrase is reminiscent of the old riddle: What is neither fish nor flesh, feathers nor bone/but still has fingers and thumbs of its own? Answer: a glove.

See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price

See also:

neither fish nor flesh
neither fish, flesh, nor fowl
a prophet is not without honor save in his own country
not for a second
not for a minute
not for a moment
aint
ain't
not for a instant
not for a/one minute/moment/second/instant

References in periodicals archive

What he did at the Post, where he tried to rebuild not only the newspaper, but all of journalism, into a strange conglomerate that was neither fish nor fowl. It became merely a place for him to fail in an attempt to weave a magic spell, was rewarded with a large salary.

Academic gamble

Interviewees observed that teachers receive state certification but nursing licensure often is not recognized as of equal status to teacher certification, partially because teacher certification requires at least a bachelor degree, yet many levels of education exist for the "nurse." As uncertified staff members, nurses described themselves as "neither fish nor fowl." Many nurses felt they are called upon when a need arises, but they aren't respected; they're classified with janitors and lunchroom personnel, and this classification is reflected in their salaries and the level of respect they receive.

School nurses: voices from the health room

It is easy to be cynical, but basically a second-rate Assembly without powers to raise its own taxes or to pass meaningful legislation is neither fish nor fowl. Perhaps it is the way devolution of power to Wales was devised that is the real millstone hanging around its neck.

Leading Article: A blueprint for mediocrity?

For more information on GSEs, see the Mercatus working paper by Jay Cochran and Catherine England, "Neither Fish nor Fowl" available on Mercatus's website.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac governance. (Mercatus Reports)

This was neither fish nor fowl, though some of the acting performances may have fallen into the foul category.

TV with Frances Traynor; IVF eggs mix-up simply left viewers' brains scrambled

Its deadlines are neither fish nor fowl. Online publishing has broadcast's immediacy, but its words and pictures, like those in newspapers, can linger on PC screens long after a breaking story has been updated.

DIGITAL OUTPUT

Although it has two distinct SUV choices, Lexus has no station wagons; the new 5-door IS-based sport hatch is a temporary solution, but it's neither fish nor fowl. And it's unlikely Lexus would consider a luxury pickup like Caddy's Escalade EXT or Lincoln's Blackwood.

Desperately Seeking Status

The result is a text that seems neither fish nor fowl, that seems at once impoverished and flowery.

Les contes du crepuscule. (Congo)

Against that, Flo is neither fish nor fowl and, despite the fact he is 6ft 5ins tall he's about as much use in the air as a duck with its wings clipped.

Football: Sutton cost Celtic pounds 6m, Gers paid pounds 12m for Floyet Celts have TWICE the player; OLD FIRM VERDICT

One of Roberta Gregory's favorite phrases is "Neither fish nor fowl." It's a perfect way to describe where the radical bisexual artist stands in relation to the gay community.

BITCHY'S BREW

Unfortunately, instead of a tightly woven combination of literary and historical analysis, which stresses the divisions and congruencies of popular and official culture and Chaucer's straddling of the worlds of court and business, the book is neither fish nor fowl. From the title of the book, the reader might expect this to be an effort to put Chaucer into the historical context of either his fourteenth-century contemporaries or of his readers in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Chaucer and the Late Medieval World

To me, they were neither fish nor fowl; capable neither of doing a real job like towing, nor of offering the comfort of a saloon car.

The girls will fall for this son of a Shogun; MELANIE'S VERDICT

Neither fish nor fowl, they did not fall under the domain of either the party organization or the committee system.

Congressional Caucuses in National Policy Making

词组	neither fish nor fowl
释义	neither fish nor fowl Related to neither fish nor fowl: neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring neither fish nor fowl Neither one thing nor another; not belonging to any suitable class or description; not recognizable or characteristic of any one particular thing. We require a solution that directly deals with the issue at hand, but the proposal that has been put forward is, to my mind, neither fish nor fowl. See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. neither fish nor fowl Cliché not any recognizable thing. The car that they drove up in was neither fish nor fowl. It must have been made out of spare parts. This proposal is neither fish nor fowl. I can't tell what you're proposing. See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. neither fish nor fowl Also, neither fish nor flesh; neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. Not one or the other, not something fitting any category under discussion. For example, They felt he was neither fish nor fowl-not qualified to lead the department, yet not appropriate to work as a staff member either . This expression appeared in slightly different form in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection ("Neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring") and is thought to allude to food for monks ( fish, because they abstained from meat), for the people ( flesh, or meat), and for the poor ( red herring, a very cheap fish). See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. neither fish nor fowl If something or someone is neither fish nor fowl, they are difficult to identify or understand, because they seem partly like one thing and partly like another. Brunel's vessel was neither fish nor fowl: a passenger liner too ugly and dirty to offer much beyond novelty value. In the American sports press, this athlete is neither fish nor fowl, neither American nor entirely foreign. Note: People occasionally replace fish with flesh. She didn't look one of anything to Oatsie, neither flesh nor fowl, neither idiot nor intellectual. Note: `Fowl' is an old-fashioned word for a hen or other bird. See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. neither fish nor fowl (nor good red herring) of indefinite character and difficult to identify or classify. This expression arose with reference to dietary laws formerly laid down by the Church during periods of fasting or abstinence. See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary neither ˌfish nor ˈfowl neither one thing nor another: Graduate teaching assistants are neither fish nor fowl, neither completely students nor teachers. See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary neither fish nor fowl Having no specific characteristics; indefinite. See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. neither fish nor fowl Having no specific characteristics or category, not easily characterized. The phrase, which was originally “neither fish nor flesh nor fowl,” appeared in slightly different form in a 16th-century collection of proverbs as “neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring”: fish for monks who ate no meat, flesh for people who could afford meat, and cheap herring for the poor. The phrase is reminiscent of the old riddle: What is neither fish nor flesh, feathers nor bone/but still has fingers and thumbs of its own? Answer: a glove. See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price See also: neither fish nor flesh neither fish, flesh, nor fowl a prophet is not without honor save in his own country not for a second not for a minute not for a moment aint ain't not for a instant not for a/one minute/moment/second/instant References in periodicals archive What he did at the Post, where he tried to rebuild not only the newspaper, but all of journalism, into a strange conglomerate that was neither fish nor fowl. It became merely a place for him to fail in an attempt to weave a magic spell, was rewarded with a large salary. Academic gamble Interviewees observed that teachers receive state certification but nursing licensure often is not recognized as of equal status to teacher certification, partially because teacher certification requires at least a bachelor degree, yet many levels of education exist for the "nurse." As uncertified staff members, nurses described themselves as "neither fish nor fowl." Many nurses felt they are called upon when a need arises, but they aren't respected; they're classified with janitors and lunchroom personnel, and this classification is reflected in their salaries and the level of respect they receive. School nurses: voices from the health room It is easy to be cynical, but basically a second-rate Assembly without powers to raise its own taxes or to pass meaningful legislation is neither fish nor fowl. Perhaps it is the way devolution of power to Wales was devised that is the real millstone hanging around its neck. Leading Article: A blueprint for mediocrity? For more information on GSEs, see the Mercatus working paper by Jay Cochran and Catherine England, "Neither Fish nor Fowl" available on Mercatus's website. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac governance. (Mercatus Reports) This was neither fish nor fowl, though some of the acting performances may have fallen into the foul category. TV with Frances Traynor; IVF eggs mix-up simply left viewers' brains scrambled Its deadlines are neither fish nor fowl. Online publishing has broadcast's immediacy, but its words and pictures, like those in newspapers, can linger on PC screens long after a breaking story has been updated. DIGITAL OUTPUT Although it has two distinct SUV choices, Lexus has no station wagons; the new 5-door IS-based sport hatch is a temporary solution, but it's neither fish nor fowl. And it's unlikely Lexus would consider a luxury pickup like Caddy's Escalade EXT or Lincoln's Blackwood. Desperately Seeking Status The result is a text that seems neither fish nor fowl, that seems at once impoverished and flowery. Les contes du crepuscule. (Congo) Against that, Flo is neither fish nor fowl and, despite the fact he is 6ft 5ins tall he's about as much use in the air as a duck with its wings clipped. Football: Sutton cost Celtic pounds 6m, Gers paid pounds 12m for Floyet Celts have TWICE the player; OLD FIRM VERDICT One of Roberta Gregory's favorite phrases is "Neither fish nor fowl." It's a perfect way to describe where the radical bisexual artist stands in relation to the gay community. BITCHY'S BREW Unfortunately, instead of a tightly woven combination of literary and historical analysis, which stresses the divisions and congruencies of popular and official culture and Chaucer's straddling of the worlds of court and business, the book is neither fish nor fowl. From the title of the book, the reader might expect this to be an effort to put Chaucer into the historical context of either his fourteenth-century contemporaries or of his readers in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Chaucer and the Late Medieval World To me, they were neither fish nor fowl; capable neither of doing a real job like towing, nor of offering the comfort of a saloon car. The girls will fall for this son of a Shogun; MELANIE'S VERDICT Neither fish nor fowl, they did not fall under the domain of either the party organization or the committee system. Congressional Caucuses in National Policy Making
随便看	have more than one string to (one's) bow haven have name inscribed in the book of life have neither chick nor child have nerves of steel have never looked back have nine lives have no business doing have no business (doing something) have no business doing something/to do something have no cause to (do something) have no chance in hell have no hard feelings have no heart for have no heart for (something) have no idea have none of have none of it/that have none of (something) have no part in/of (something) have nose in a book have nose in the air have no sense of shame have no staying power have no stomach for (something)