fishy

fishy

Highly dubious or suspicious; seeming to not be aboveboard. I don't know if you should sign that contract, it seems a bit fishy to me. Don't you think it's a little fishy how eager he is to be in charge of the accounts?

fishy about the gills

Hung-over. A: "How are you feeling after your night of partying?" B: "Ugh, fishy about the gills—I've been throwing up all morning!"
See also: fishy, gill

smell fishy

To seem suspicious of being improper, untoward, or duplicitous. A: "Their numbers don't match up with the taxes they've paid." B: "Hmm, something smells fishy." He thought Janet's response seemed a bit fishy, so he did a bit of investigation into her role in the company.
See also: fishy, smell

sound fishy

To seem suspicious of being improper, untoward, or duplicitous. A: "Their numbers don't match up with the taxes they've paid." B: "Hmm, that sounds fishy." He thought Janet's response sounded a bit fishy, so he did a bit of investigation into her role in the company.
See also: fishy, sound
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

smell fishy

to seem suspicious. Barlowe squinted a bit. Something smells fishy here, he thought. something about the deal smelled fishy—too good to be true.
See also: fishy, smell
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

smell fishy

Be suspect or suspicious, as in His explanation definitely smells fishy; my guess is that he's lying. This idiom alludes to the fact that fresh fish have no odor but stale or rotten ones do. [Early 1800s]
See also: fishy, smell
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

fishy

mod. dubious; questionable; likely to be improper or illegal. (see also smell fishy.) That was a pretty fishy story you told us.

smell fishy

in. to seem suspicious. (see also fishy.) Marlowe squinted a bit. Something smells fishy here, he thought.
See also: fishy, smell
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

smell fishy, to

To be suspect. This term, which refers to the fact that fresh fish do not smell but stale or rotten ones do, has been around since the early nineteenth century. J. G. Holland explained it explicitly (Everyday Topics, 1876): “Fish is good, but fishy is always bad.” The metaphor turns up in James Payn’s Confidential Agent (1880): “His French is very fishy.”
See also: smell
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • all in (one's) head
  • don't get me wrong
  • (I) won't tell a soul
  • don't bet on it
  • bank on
  • banking
  • don't give up the ship
  • don't beat a dead horse
  • don't cry before you are hurt
References in periodicals archive
Little Fishy, which is also available to hire, has already proved that size isn't everything.
Little Fishy proves that size isn't all that matters; Mexican delicacies have given way to British fish 'n' chips at Quayside Seaside, as BARBARA HODGSON reports
Our colleagues up the road at The Chronicle have also just moved into a new open plan office and have apparently banned fishy lunches.
Kicking up a stink over smelly lunches
Mr Tomlinson, a regular visitor to the market with his wife and two-year-old twins, said: "Launching The Little Fishy has really been in the works since I left the RAF about eight years ago.
Fishy business comes to Tynemouth Market through [pounds sterling]16,500 start-up loan; Michael Tomlinson has planned the launch of The Little Fishy since leaving the RAF eight years ago
Scientists believe the tendency to respond to fishy smells with suspicion is an evolved mechanism that helped humans survive for millennia.
Fishy stink heightens critical thinking
She keeps a photograph of herself and Graham beside her bed and they write to each other using the nicknames Fishy Spice and Spotty Spice -a reference to Jenny's favourite polka-dot pyjamas.
Dear Spotty Spice, THANKS FOR THE PS25K. YOU'RE REMARKABLE. Love, Fishy Spice (your surgeon); HOLYROOD TO HONOUR BRAVE SCHOOLGIRL; Big-hearted Jenny's one-girl mission to raise thousands for children's hospital
A visit to a cinema to see a film called 'The Fishy Feast' gives them a bright idea--they will steal a penguin to get fish for them.
Hancocks, Helen: Penguin in Peril
"Something Fishy" is the latest Upton Charles dog detective mystery, starring the keen sleuthing skills of a famous Bichon Frise.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Blues singer-songwriter Guy Davis' tour stops in Eugene today in conjunction with a two-disc "audio play" called "The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed With the Blues." Davis has performed it off and on since 1994, and while he won't be doing it live at Cozmic, people still can hear the play ahead of its general release date.
Buzzworthy
Saying that something smells fishy because it arouses suspicion is more than just a pungent metaphor.
Fishy is more than a smell
"The hospital may also be involved in this fishy incident," Al Fassi said.
Princess' death raises doubts of foul play
A guide to the Kinsale Good Food Circle, which consists of 12 member restaurants offering great cooking and high levels of service, recommends the Fishy Fishy Cafe, located opposite the Marina.
A taste of Cork; Anna Blackaby samples the fresh air and culinary y delights of a beautiful Irish county on the Atlantic coast
Yellow Perch Average Size: 6-12 inches Fishy Fact: Often travels in schools with others the same size and age.
Common sportfish of New York state
ISLAMABAD, January 12, 2010 (Balochistan times): Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira on Tuesday again made it clear that Mian Shahbaz Sharif meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chaudhry Nisars statement in NA speaks volumes of the fact that some thing fishy looks on the cards.
Something fishy going in minds of N-leadership: Kaira
ISLAMABAD, January 12, 2010 (Frontier Star): Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira on Tuesday again made it clear that Mian Shahbaz Sharif meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chaudhry Nisar's statement in NA speaks volumes of the fact that some thing fishy looks on the cards.
Something fishy going in minds of N-Leadership: Kaira