He is like a fish out of water

[Guest]

Test No. express/advan-9 "Water Expressions", question 5

He is like a fish out of water whenever he goes to a party.

(a) feels uncomfortable
(b) feels dry
(c) feels thirsty
(d) feels silly

Test No. express/advan-9 "Water Expressions", answer 5

He feels uncomfortable whenever he goes to a party.

Correct answer: (a) feels uncomfortable
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explanation

[Mister Micawber]

The Greeks (or was it the medieval philosophers?) saw the world as composed of four elements-- water, earth, air and fire.

Each thing has its own proper element-- birds live in the air, men live on the earth, salamanders (they thought) live in fire, and fish live in water.

We function best in our own element, and very poorly when we are out of our element. A fish out of water functions very poorly, and is quite uncomfortable.
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Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber