neither fish nor fowl
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neither fish nor fowl
- /ˌnaɪðə ˈfɪʃ nɔː ˈfaʊl/ UK
- /ˌniː-/ UK
- /ˌnaɪðɚ ˈfɪʃ nɔɹ ˈfaʊl/ US
- /ˌni-/ US
Rhymes with -aʊl
Where it comes from
Possibly a variant of neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, itself a variant of neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring which is attested from the 16th century. According to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1895), the latter term referred to three types of food generally consumed by the different classes in society: fish by the clergy, flesh by the common people, and red herring by the poor. Thus if something was neither fish, flesh, nor red herring, it was good for no one.
adjective
-
Not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; also, not having the advantages of the various options.
Besides, I know I should hate being there without you; I'm a great old thing, as Jasper says, neither fish nor fowl, you know, not come out, and not a little girl in the schoolroom, and it would be very horrid going to a grand place like that on one's own account.
Similar: neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring, neither fish nor flesh, neither fish nor flesh, nor good red herring
Translations
Every language
adj not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options
| Español | ni chicha ni limonada, ni de aquí ni de allá |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 海の物とも山の物ともつかない |
| 中文 | 不倫不類 /不伦不类 bùlúnbùlèi, 非驢非馬 /非驴非马 fēilǘfēimǎ, 童牛角馬 /童牛角马 tóng niú jué mǎ |
| Português | nem carne nem peixe |
| Français | mi-figue mi-raisin, ni chair ni poisson |
| Deutsch | weder Fisch noch Fleisch |
| Italiano | né carne né pesce |
| Română | nici cal nici măgar |
| العربية | لا السمك ولا الطيور |
| עברית | לא בשר ולא חלב |
Talk about this word "neither fish nor fowl." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/neither%20fish%20nor%20fowl. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. neither fish nor fowl. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/neither%20fish%20nor%20fowl "neither fish nor fowl." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/neither%20fish%20nor%20fowl.Cite this
@misc{neither_fish_nor_fowl_2026,
title = {neither fish nor fowl},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/neither%20fish%20nor%20fowl},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
