What Does "Sleep with the Fishes" Mean?
"Sleep with the fishes" is an English idiom made famous by gangster movies, suggesting that someone has been murdered and their body disposed of in a body of water.Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "sleep with the fishes" used in a sentence:- In the crime novel, the antagonist threatened to make the detective sleep with the fishes if he didn't cooperate.
- The mafia boss used the phrase 'sleep with the fishes' as a sinister warning to those who crossed him.
- Hollywood often portrays criminals using the phrase 'sleep with the fishes' to intimidate their enemies.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Sleep with the Fishes" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
A Quick Test
You now know what "sleep with the fishes" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
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