As drunk as a FISH

Insights

Absurd Excess

The phrase humorously exaggerates drunkenness by likening it to a fish, which is always in water but cannot get drunk—thus, it paradoxically emphasizes the extremity of inebriation.

Contradiction and Irony

It draws on the ironic notion that, since fish live in water (not alcohol), it is nonsensical to call them drunk—thereby intensifying the comic effect and suggesting the person is as thoroughly soaked in drink as a fish is in water.

Folkloric Humor

The expression belongs to a long tradition of comic hyperbole in English, where the impossibility of the comparison serves to heighten the jest.

Connection to Related Proverbs

Closely linked to 'drink like a fish,' the phrase extends the logic: if a fish is surrounded by liquid, the drunkard is figuratively surrounded or saturated by alcohol.

Cultural Commentary

The comparison mocks the state of drunkenness by making it ridiculous, contributing to a broader social commentary on excess and self-indulgence.

Rhetorical Devices

Simile

The proverb is a simile, directly comparing drunkenness to the condition of a fish, creating an immediate and vivid mental image.

Irony

The ironic juxtaposition—fish cannot be drunk—amplifies the humor and absurdity of the statement.

Hyperbole

Exaggerates the degree of drunkenness for comic and rhetorical effect, a hallmark of humorous proverbs.