fish for

fish for
{v.}, {informal} To try to get or to find out (something), by hinting or by a roundabout way to try to lead someone else to give or tell you what you want by hinting. * /Jerry was always fishing for an invitation to Bob's house./ * /Near examination time, some of the students fish for information./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • fish for — [phrasal verb] fish for (something) : to ask for or try to get (something, such as praise or attention) in an indirect way I think he offers apologies for his cooking as a way of fishing for compliments. [=as a way of getting people to say that… …   Useful english dictionary

  • fish for — [v] look for; hint angle, angle for, elicit, hope for, hunt for, invite, search for, seek, solicit, try to evoke; concepts 20,75 …   New thesaurus

  • fish for — {v.}, {informal} To try to get or to find out (something), by hinting or by a roundabout way to try to lead someone else to give or tell you what you want by hinting. * /Jerry was always fishing for an invitation to Bob s house./ * /Near… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • fish\ for — v informal To try to get or to find out (smth), by hinting or by a roundabout way to try to lead someone else to give or tell you what you want by hinting. Jerry was always fishing for an invitation to Bob s house. Near examination time, some of… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • fish for — phr verb Fish for is used with these nouns as the object: ↑compliment, ↑salmon, ↑trout …   Collocations dictionary

  • fish for something — ˈfish for sth derived to try to get sth, or to find out sth, although you are pretending not to • to fish for compliments/information Main entry: ↑fishderived …   Useful english dictionary

  • fish for a compliment — {v, phr.} To try to make someone pay a compliment. * /When Jim showed me his new car, I could tell that he was fishing for a compliment./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • fish for a compliment — {v, phr.} To try to make someone pay a compliment. * /When Jim showed me his new car, I could tell that he was fishing for a compliment./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • fish for compliments — Usually said of someone who puts themselves down (similar to false modesty) in the hope that others will contradict them, and in the process, compliment them. Sam: I m no good at drawing!Judy: Nonsense! You re an excellent artist!Bob: Aw, he was… …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • fish for — Synonyms and related words: address, angle for, ask for, beat about for, bid for, canvass, court, delve for, dig for, follow, go gunning for, gun for, hunt, hunt for, hunt up, look, look for, look up, pop the question, prowl after, pursue, quest …   Moby Thesaurus

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