fishy
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Doubtful, unsound, rotten; used to denote a suspicion of a "screw being loose," or "something rotten in the state of Denmark," in referring to any proposed speculation.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “fishy” mean?
Doubtful, unsound, rotten; used to denote a suspicion of a "screw being loose," or "something rotten in the state of Denmark," in referring to any proposed speculation.
Is “fishy” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.