This week’s theme
Words coined after animals

This week’s words
reptilian
eager beaver
testudinal
weasel
big fish


This week’s comments
AWADmail 1129

Next week’s theme
Words for prisons

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(big fish)

MEANING:

noun: An important person or entity.

ETYMOLOGY:

From big, perhaps of Scandinavian origin + fish, from Old English fisc (fish). Earliest documented use: 1827.

NOTES:

Fish, as a species, exhibit a wide range of sizes, far more so than humans. This significant variation makes the metaphor “big fish” apt for describing someone important or influential, distinguishing them from the rest. The phrase “big fish in a small pond” refers to someone who is significant within a limited scope. Conversely, the terms small fry and minnow are used to describe entities of lesser importance or influence.

USAGE:

“In December alone, Britain signed terms with 11 countries ranging from big fish such as Canada and Turkey to minnows such as Cameroon and North Macedonia.”
Nice Work; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 30, 2021.

See more usage examples of big fish in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: