Hi. Please can you explain the saying 'a fish out of water'? Thanks.

Victor Tsui in Hong Kong

Have you ever felt like a fish out of water? This is an idiom which is a saying that cannot be taken literally but it does make a comparison with a real life situation.

If a fish isn't in water it will feel uncomfortable and it will be in a situation it's not familiar with. So similarly if you feel like a fish out of water you will be in an uncomfortable or awkward situation.

There are a few other fishing related phrases that also get used in English conversation.

A fish out of water – almost!

To drink like a fish, fishing for a compliment and sounding fishy are some examples. Rob and Fei Fei explain some of these in this week's Question and Answer of the Week.

If you have a question for our team, send it to us at questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk and we might answer it on this programme.