Smell Something Fishy (Origin)

What Is the Origin of the Saying "Smell Something Fishy"?

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The term "smell something fishy" means to be suspicious of something or to detect that something isn't quite right.

This idiom comes in many forms, e.g., "that looks fishy," "that's a fishy situation," "seems fishy to me." However it appears, "suspicious" will be a good translation for the word "fishy."

"To smell something fishy" and all its variants originate from the fish markets of the early 1800s, when the smell of a fish would provide a good indication of its freshness. Unscrupulous fishmongers would claim their fish was fresh, but the smell of their fish would often tell a different story. This idea is well captured in this quotation:

Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is. (Humorist PJ O'Rourke)

As a fishy-smelling fish would raise suspicion about its freshness, "fishy" has now become a synonym for "suspicious."

Examples of Use:

I thought something smelled fishy. When I checked, six of my employees were working from the Maldives.
This deal smells fishy. Why is the car so cheap?
That man in the hat and sunglasses looks a bit fishy to me.