A PRETTY (OR FINE) KETTLE OF FISH

Meaning of A PRETTY (OR FINE) KETTLE OF FISH in English

a pretty ( or fine) kettle of fish

informal

an awkward state of affairs.

→ kettle

Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004

FISH — I Any of more than 24,000 species of cold-blooded vertebrate s found worldwide in fresh and salt water. Living species …
Английский словарь Британика
PRETTY — I. ˈpri]d.]ē, ]t], ]i also ˈpu̇r], - R sometimes ˈpu̇] adjective ( -er/-est ) Etymology: Middle English prety, praty, from …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
OR — I. _ə(r), (|)ȯ(ə)r, (|)ȯ(ə), in southern US also (|)ä(r) conjunction Etymology: Middle English other, or, from Old English oththe, oththa, …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
FISH
Webster's New International English Dictionary
FINE — I. fine ˈfīn noun ( -s ) Etymology: Middle English fin, fine, from Old French fin, from Latin finis boundary, …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
KETTLE — ˈke]d. ə l, ]t ə l, ÷ ˈki]; some who have |ki] in “teakettle”and/or “kettle of fish” have |ke] in …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
PRETTY — (superl.) Pleasing by delicacy or grace; attracting, but not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color; …
Английский словарь Webster
PRETTY — — prettily , adv. — prettiness , n. — prettyish , adj. /prit"ee/ , adj., prettier, prettiest , n. , …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
KETTLE — /ket"l/ , n. 1. a metal container in which to boil liquids, cook foods, etc.; pot. 2. a teakettle. 3. …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
FISH — — fishless , adj. /fish/ , n. , pl. ( esp. collectively ) fish , ( esp. referring to two …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
FINE — fine 1 /fuyn/ , adj., finer, finest , adv., v., fined, fining , n. adj. 1. of superior or best …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
PRETTY — I. ˈpri-tē, ˈpər- also ˈpru̇- adjective ( pret·ti·er ; -est ) Etymology: Middle English praty, prety, from Old English prættig …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
FISH
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
FINE — I. fine ˈfīn noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French fin, fine, from Latin finis boundary, end Date: 13th century 1. …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
KETTLE — noun Etymology: Middle English ketel, from Old Norse ketill (akin to Old English cietel kettle), both from a prehistoric Germanic …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
PRETTY — superl stout; strong and brave; intrepid; valiant. 2. pretty ·superl affectedly nice; foppish; used in an ill sense. 3. …
Webster English vocab
FISH — pl of fish. 2. fish ·noun the flesh of fish, used as food. 3. fish ·noun a counter, used in …
Webster English vocab
FINE — superl (used ironically.). 2. fine ·superl not coarse, gross, or heavy. 3. fine ·vi to pay a fine. ·see fine, …
Webster English vocab
PRETTY — [pret.ty] adj pret.ti.er ; -est [ME praty, prety, fr. OE praettig tricky, fr. praett trick; akin to ON prettr trick] …
Merriam-Webster English vocab
KETTLE — [ket.tle] n [ME ketel, fr. ON ketill (akin to OE cietel kettle), both fr. a prehistoric Gmc word borrowed fr. …
Merriam-Webster English vocab
FISH — [fish] n, pl fish or fish.es often attrib [ME, fr. OE fisc; akin to OHG fisc fish, L piscis] (bef. …
Merriam-Webster English vocab
FINE — [fine] n [ME, fr. OF fin, fr. L finis boundary, end] (13c) 1 obs: end, conclusion 2: a compromise of …
Merriam-Webster English vocab
KETTLE — also called Kettle Hole, in geology, depression in a glacial outwash drift made by the melting of a detached mass …
Britannica English vocabulary
FISH
Britannica English vocabulary
KETTLE — kettle, K~ BrE AmE ˈket ə l AmE ˈket̬ ə l ▷ kettle|s z
Longman Pronunciation English Dictionary
FINE — I fine ordinary senses BrE AmE faɪn ▷ fined faɪnd ▷ finer ˈfaɪn ə AmE - ə r ▷ fines …
Longman Pronunciation English Dictionary
PRETTY — / ˈprɪti; NAmE / adverb , adjective ■ adverb (with adjectives and adverbs) 1. to some extent; fairly : I'm …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
KETTLE — / ˈketl; NAmE / noun a container with a lid, handle and a spout , used for boiling water : …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
FISH
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
FINE — / faɪn; NAmE / adjective , adverb , noun , verb ■ adjective ( finer , fin·est ) VERY GOOD …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
PRETTY — I. pret ‧ ty 1 S1 W3 /ˈprɪti/ BrE AmE adverb [+ adjective/adverb] spoken 1 . fairly or more than …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
OR — or S1 W1 /ə; strong ɔː $ ər strong ɔːr/ BrE AmE conjunction [ Language: Old English ; Origin: oththe …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
KETTLE — ket ‧ tle S3 /ˈketl/ BrE AmE noun [countable] [ Language: Old English ; Origin: cetel ] 1 . a …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
FISH
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
FINE — I. fine 1 S1 W1 /faɪn/ BrE AmE adjective [ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: French ; Origin: fin , from …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
PRETTY — adj., n., v., & adv. --adj. (prettier, prettiest) 1 attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful or handsome …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
OR — conj. 1 a introducing the second of two alternatives (white or black). b introducing all but the first, or only …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
KETTLE — n. a vessel, usu. of metal with a lid, spout, and handle, for boiling water in. økettle hole a depression …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
FISH — n. & v. --n. (pl. same or fishes) 1 a vertebrate cold-blooded animal with gills and fins living wholly in …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
FINE — adj., n., adv., & v. --adj. 1 of high quality. 2 a excellent; of notable merit (a fine painting). b …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
PRETTY — adj., n., v., & adv. adj. (prettier, prettiest) 1 attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful or handsome …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
OR — conj. 1 a introducing the second of two alternatives (white or black). b introducing all but the first, or only …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
KETTLE — n. a vessel, usu. of metal with a lid, spout, and handle, for boiling water in. kettle hole a depression …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
FISH — n. & v. n. (pl. same or fishes) 1 a vertebrate cold-blooded animal with gills and fins living wholly in …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
FINE — adj., n., adv., & v. adj. 1 of high quality. 2 a excellent; of notable merit (a fine painting). b …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
PRETTY — adj., n., v., & adv. --adj. (prettier, prettiest) 1. attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful or handsome …
Oxford English vocab
OR — 1.conj. 1. a introducing the second of two alternatives (white or black). b introducing all but the first, or only …
Oxford English vocab
KETTLE — n. a vessel, usu. of metal with a lid, spout, and handle, for boiling water in. Phrases and idioms: kettle …
Oxford English vocab
FISH — 1. n. & v. --n. (pl. same or fishes) 1. a vertebrate cold-blooded animal with gills and fins living wholly …
Oxford English vocab
FINE — 1. adj., n., adv., & v. --adj. 1. of high quality. 2 a excellent; of notable merit (a fine painting). …
Oxford English vocab
FINE — I. ADJECTIVE USES /faɪn/ ( finer, finest) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
PRETTY — ( prettier, prettiest) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you describe …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
OR — Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use or to link two …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
KETTLE — ( kettles) 1. A kettle is a covered container that you use for boiling water. It has a handle, and …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
FISH — ( fish, or fishes, fishes, fishing, fished) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
PRETTY — I. adverb COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a sweet/pretty/lovely melody (= pleasant ) ▪ The pianist played a sweet melody. fairly/pretty …
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
OR
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
KETTLE — noun COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES electric light/kettle/cooker etc ▪ the heat from a small electric fire fish kettle COLLOCATIONS FROM …
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
FISH — I. noun COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a fish pond a fishing boat ▪ The fishing boats go out to sea …
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
FINE — I. adjective COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a beautiful/fine/sunny morning ▪ Outside it was a beautiful morning. a fine balance (= …
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
PRETTY — (PLEASANT) [adjective] -ier, -iest - pleasant to look at, or (esp. of girls or women or things connected with them) …
Cambridge English vocab
KETTLE — [noun] [C] - a covered metal or plastic container with a handle and a spout, used for boiling waterPeople often …
Cambridge English vocab
FINE — (PUNISHMENT) [noun] [C] - an amount of money that has to be paid as a punishment for not obeying a …
Cambridge English vocab
FISH — n. fish farming fish duck fish hawk archer fish blind fish bony fish fish poisoning Fish Hamilton flying fish Great …
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Concise Oxford English vocab

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