Question
Updated on
5 May 2021
- Russian
-
English (US)
Question about English (US)
What is the difference between slippery and shifty and fishy ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between slippery and shifty and fishy ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
Hi community,
These are the sample sentences I used:
He's a *slippery* guy. I've never felt comfortable with him.
Politicians may be *shifty* and our mayor isn't in a different league.
I'm convinced there's something *fishy* going on!
Though all of them mean "not reliable/trustworthy", but what are the differences in the shades of meaning of these words? How interchangeable are they (maybe only *part* of them is)?
Thank you guys!
These are the sample sentences I used:
He's a *slippery* guy. I've never felt comfortable with him.
Politicians may be *shifty* and our mayor isn't in a different league.
I'm convinced there's something *fishy* going on!
Though all of them mean "not reliable/trustworthy", but what are the differences in the shades of meaning of these words? How interchangeable are they (maybe only *part* of them is)?
Thank you guys!
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5 May 2021
Featured answer
- English (US)
Something (not someone) can be fishy. Someone's story, their alibi... A situation might seem fishy.
A shifty person is unreliable and untrustworthy, and even probably criminal (there is overlap here with "shady").
I don't say 'slippery' much about people, but I guess it's more about the person being someone you can't depend on, or maybe someone who is evasive. If the police can't catch their suspect, he might be called evasive.
Highly-rated answerer
Read more comments
- English (US)
Something (not someone) can be fishy. Someone's story, their alibi... A situation might seem fishy.
A shifty person is unreliable and untrustworthy, and even probably criminal (there is overlap here with "shady").
I don't say 'slippery' much about people, but I guess it's more about the person being someone you can't depend on, or maybe someone who is evasive. If the police can't catch their suspect, he might be called evasive.
Highly-rated answerer
- Russian
@edwardws Thank you dude! Do you mean that in modern AE "slippery" (as "unreliable") is almost *not used*, at least by 25-40yr population?
And finally - where does "shaky" stand here? E.g. "you invested in a shaky business". Can we equally say "you invested in a fishy business", or does the latter *clearly* mean smth. criminal, while the former may perfectly mean just the volatile market?
Thank you!
And finally - where does "shaky" stand here? E.g. "you invested in a shaky business". Can we equally say "you invested in a fishy business", or does the latter *clearly* mean smth. criminal, while the former may perfectly mean just the volatile market?
Thank you!
- English (US)
@ogassav Well, these words are probably all used, occasionally, but they aren't THE words for these concepts. Calling someone slippery is metaphorical, because you're talking about how they are hard to get a hold of. All of these terms are metaphorical and are more likely to be used when someone wants to convey a feeling in a more descriptive way.
You are correct about 'shaky'
Highly-rated answerer
- Russian
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