Choose the correct meaning of idiom: To cry stinking fish
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4 i.e. Undervaluing one's own worth or effort.
Grammatical Concept/Meaning:
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Literal Origin: Imagine a fishmonger standing in a market. If they were to shout ("cry") that the fish they are selling are "stinking" (rotten), no one would buy them. They would be actively ruining their own business.
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Figurative Meaning: To disparage oneself, one's own work, or one's own kin. It describes the act of being your own worst critic in a way that is self-defeating.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.