fish or cut bait

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fish or cut bait

verb fishes or cuts bait · fishing or cutting bait · fished or cut bait

idiomatic To make a decision, especially after a period of delay; to either take action now or forgo the opportunity. It's time to fish or cut bait: either we buy this house now, or we must start looking for another one.
Similar: shit or get off the pot

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MLA

"fish or cut bait." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fish%20or%20cut%20bait. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

fish or cut bait. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fish%20or%20cut%20bait

Chicago

"fish or cut bait." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fish%20or%20cut%20bait.

BibTeX

@misc{fish_or_cut_bait_2026,
  title = {fish or cut bait},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fish%20or%20cut%20bait},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}