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What does “a fish out of water” mean?

Meaning, example sentence and a quick practice question.

C1

Someone who feels completely out of place in a situation

“On my first day, I felt like a total fish out of water.”

Say it smoothly: “a-fish-out-o'-water”

From the C1 lesson Jet Lag and Culture Shock (travel idioms).

Quick check

What does “a fish out of water” mean?

Teaching this phrase?“a fish out of water” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks C1 Pack 3 (Money, Food, Work and Travel).
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