proverb · Words worth keeping
Never cry "Stinking fish."
Never cry "Stinking fish."
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Do not carelessly undermine what you are trying to offer. Calling one’s own fish stinking pictures damaging speech about an undertaking one hopes others will accept.
Example
Someone describes their work accurately, acknowledging a limitation without calling the whole effort worthless.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The market cry advertises a defect instead of an attraction. The saying can encourage thoughtful presentation and resistance to needless self-denigration. It must not be used to conceal a real fault or prevent a customer from receiving accurate information. A useful reading distinguishes an unfairly dismissive label from an honest explanation of condition, limits and suitability.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish fair self-description from needless self-denigration.
Keep in mind
Honest disclosure of defects or limitations should not be suppressed.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English