kettle of fish
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
A complicated or awkward situation
Examples
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Sense 2
When a person has perplexed his affairs in general, or any particular business, he is said to have made a fine kettle of fish of it.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 3
a mess or muddle of any kind. As, "Here’s a pretty KETTLE OF FISH!"
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “kettle of fish” mean?
A complicated or awkward situation Literally: a container of fish
Is “kettle of fish” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.