crooked as a barrel of fish hooks

phrase

Very unscrupulous and deceptive.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. USderogatoryinformalsimileVery unscrupulous and deceptive.

    But Father said this man was as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks. He never went near him if he could help it.

    1940, Omnibook, Incorporated (publisher), Omnibook Magazine, volume 3, number 1, page 125
    2 more examples

    And now, to top it off, Enron executive Kenneth Lay, who is as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks, is following the Bush example of hypocrisy by saying that he is praying that God will help him get through.

    2002, Triumph Prophetic Ministries (contributor), Prophecy Flash!, volume 16, page 40

    It's a pity that there are no laborers on the poll. I guess all us blue-collar working stiffs are as crooked as a barrel of fish hooks.

    2004 December 16, Sirdrag...@gmail.com, “Ranking honesty by profession”, in can.politics (Usenet)

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
crooked as a dog's hind leg
Cite this entry
APA

crooked as a barrel of fish hooks. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crooked%20as%20a%20barrel%20of%20fish%20hooks

MLA

“crooked as a barrel of fish hooks.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crooked%20as%20a%20barrel%20of%20fish%20hooks. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crooked as a barrel of fish hooks,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crooked%20as%20a%20barrel%20of%20fish%20hooks.

Source: crooked as a barrel of fish hooks on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.