soup and fish

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Men's formal white tie dress.

Register: dated, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Not a thing, you notice, about Elmer showing up in the soup and fish—the women thought that was all right. May Wilson even said that he looked well in the outfit.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “soup and fish” mean?

Men's formal white tie dress.

Is “soup and fish” formal or informal?

soup and fish is generally dated, slang.