neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring

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The three foods are metonyms for those things suitable to each of medieval society’s classes of people; fish represents the clergy, flesh represents commoners, whilst red herring represents paupers; the three classes are simplistically regarded as exhaustive.

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Catalan: ni carn ni peix — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Chinese Cantonese: 唔湯唔水 /唔汤唔水 (m4 tong1 m4 seoi2) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Chinese Mandarin: 男不男女不女 (nán bù nán nǚ bù nǚ) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Finnish: ei lintu eikä kala — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• French: ni chair ni poisson — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• German: weder Fisch noch Fleisch — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Italian: né carne né pesce — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Polish: ni pies, ni wydra — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Russian: ни ры́ба ни мя́со (ni rýba ni mjáso) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Russian: ни то́ ни сё (ni tó ni sjo) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Russian: ни два́ ни полтора́ (ni dvá ni poltorá) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Russian: ни в пизду́, ни в Кра́сную А́рмию (ni v pizdú, ni v Krásnuju Ármiju) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Spanish: ni carne ni pescado — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Spanish: ni chicha ni limonada — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Spanish: sin pies ni cabeza — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Ukrainian: ні ри́ба ні м'я́со (ni rýba ni mʺjáso) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Ukrainian: ні се ні те (ni se ni te) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl
• Ukrainian: ні те ні се (ni te ni se) — not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; not having the advantages of the various options — see also neither fish nor fowl