# What does ‘a fish out of water’ mean?

To “a fish out of water” means to someone in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation. Brewer's records this simile as a long-standing English proverb.

## What it means

- Brewer's records this simile as a long-standing English proverb.

## Action steps

1. Used sympathetically for people out of their element.
2. Example: At the black-tie gala he felt like a fish out of water.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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