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Phrase(s): Fish or cut bait.
Fig. Do something or get out of the way. • Fish or cut bait, Chuck. There’s work to be done here. • Decide whether you’re going to watch or help. Fish or cut bait.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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Either proceed with an activity or abandon it completely. For example, You've been putting off calling him for hours; either fish or cut bait. This expression, often uttered as an imperative, alludes to a fisherman who should either be actively trying to catch fish or cutting up bait for others to use. It was first recorded in the Congressional Record (1876), when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a vote on a bill legalizing the silver dollar: "I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to ‘fish or cut bait.'" A vulgar synonym from the 1940s is shit or get off the pot. fish out 1. Also, fish up. Discover and retrieve something from a pile or store. For example, She finally fished out the right letter from the files, or He fished up a scandal for the paper to run in the early edition. This usage likens pulling fish from the sea to finding something. [Mid-1600s] 2. Deplete the fish in a body of water by fishing, as in This stream is completely fished out.
American Heritage Idioms