How Do You Spell FISHING EXPEDITION?

Pronunciation: [fˈɪʃɪŋ ˌɛkspədˈɪʃən] (IPA)

The phrase "fishing expedition" is commonly used to describe an investigation or inquiry without a specific purpose, but did you ever wonder why it's spelled that way? The word "fishing" is pronounced as /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/ with the "sh" sound made by the letters "sh". Meanwhile, "expedition" is pronounced as /ˌɛkspɪˈdɪʃən/ with the "sh" sound made by the letters "ti". The spelling of this idiom may be confusing, but its meaning is clear: a search without a clear goal.

FISHING EXPEDITION Meaning and Definition

1. A fishing expedition, in its figurative sense, is an exploratory or investigative action undertaken without any specific evidence or strong grounds, in an attempt to uncover more information or evidence, often with a sense of skepticism, curiosity, or an ulterior motive. The term is derived from the literal act of fishing, where one casts a net or line in the hopes of catching fish, but without any specific knowledge or indication of their presence. Similarly, engaging in a fishing expedition in the figurative sense involves delving into a particular matter or situation without substantial proof or clear direction.

   Typically, a fishing expedition is characterized by its speculative nature, lack of concrete leads, or the absence of a well-defined objective. In legal contexts, for example, a fishing expedition refers to an attempt by one party to gain access to extensive information or documents from the other party, without a strong basis to believe that such information is relevant or useful to the case at hand. This tactic is often regarded as unproductive, deceptively wasteful, or a means of harassment.

   The term is frequently used to describe situations where individuals, organizations, or authorities attempt to discover information by randomly investigating without a clear purpose or reasonable suspicion. In such cases, a fishing expedition may be seen as intrusive or unwarranted, potentially infringing on personal privacy, wasting valuable resources, or even compromising the integrity of the inquiry or investigation.

Common Misspellings for FISHING EXPEDITION

• dishing expedition
• cishing expedition
• vishing expedition
• gishing expedition
• tishing expedition
• rishing expedition
• fushing expedition
• fjshing expedition
• fkshing expedition
• foshing expedition
• f9shing expedition
• f8shing expedition
• fiahing expedition
• fizhing expedition
• fixhing expedition
• fidhing expedition
• fiehing expedition
• fiwhing expedition
• fisging expedition
• fisbing expedition

Etymology of FISHING EXPEDITION

The word "fishing expedition" is a metaphorical expression that originated in the domain of law. It is used to describe a situation where someone is going on an investigative quest without having any specific grounds or evidence to support their inquiry. The term "fishing" in this context refers to the act of casting a fishing line or net into the water in hopes of catching fish, even if there isn't a specific fish in mind. In the legal sense, a "fishing expedition" refers to casting a wide investigative net in the hopes of finding evidence or information that could be useful to a particular case or matter. The term has now been adopted and used in other contexts beyond the legal field.

Idioms with the word FISHING EXPEDITION

• a fishing expedition The idiom "a fishing expedition" refers to a situation where someone is seeking or searching for information or evidence without any clear or definite purpose. It implies that the individual is casting a wide net, hoping to find something of interest or value, even if it may be unrelated to their original intentions. It can be used to describe an investigative or exploratory process that is speculative or speculative, with no specific direction or goal in mind.
• fishing expedition A fishing expedition is a thorough investigation or search for information, often without a specific goal or target in mind.

Plural form of FISHING EXPEDITION is FISHING EXPEDITIONS