Question

Choose the correct meaning of the given phrase/idiom.
“A queer fish”
a) Fish of peculiar size
b) Sharp toothed shark
c) A sea-fairy
d) An eccentric person
e) Whale

Answer 1

Hint: A phrase refers to an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up. For example- ‘be up’ refers to being out of bed.

Complete answer:
In the given question, the phrase ‘a queer fish’ refers to (dated, UK) an odd or eccentric person. Let us thus analyze the options given to us in this question:
Option (a.), 'fish of peculiar size', refers to a fish that is beyond or deviating from the usual or expected size.
Therefore, option (a.) is incorrect as it is not at all similar to what the definition of ‘a queer fish’ says.
Option (b.), ‘sharp-toothed shark', refers to a shark that has a set of teeth ending in a sharp point.
Therefore, option (b.) is incorrect as it is not similar to the meaning of ‘a queer fish’.
Option (c.), ‘a sea-fairy’, refers to a small being, human in form, playful, and having magical powers found in the sea.
Therefore, option (c.) is incorrect as it is not synonymous with that of ‘a queer fish’s’ definition.
Option (d.), ‘an eccentric person’, refers to a person with an unusual or odd personality.
Therefore, option (d.) is correct as it is similar to what ‘a queer fish’ means.
Option (e.), ‘whale’, refers to any of the larger cetacean mammals having a streamlined body and breathing through a blowhole on the head.
Therefore, option (e.) is incorrect as it is not similar to what ‘a queer fish’ means.

Note:
In this type of question, the student must always recall that phrases should not be taken literally, as they seldom mean what the words in the phrase collectively portray to mean. Let’s now look at an example where the given phrase ‘a queer fish’ is used- ‘My perception of him is that he is quite the queer fish.’