Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
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Americans use many expressions about fish and fishing.
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For example, if something sounds fishy, it may not be true.
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Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water when I go to a party and everyone but me is doing the latest dance.
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When I ask my friend if she likes my new dress, I would like her to say something nice. In other words, I am fishing for a compliment.
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You might tell someone to fish or cut bait if he repeatedly attempts to do something he is unable to do.
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Sometimes a lawyer will ask a witness many questions in an effort to discover the facts of a court case. This is called going on a fishing expedition.
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Some expressions involve different kinds of fish.
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Information that is used to draw attention away from the real facts of a situation is called a red herring.
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If you want to express a feeling of surprise, you might cry "holy mackerel!" although we do not know why a mackerel is holy.
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Once I went on th