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Difference between Neither fish nor fowl and Neither man nor mouse

neither fish nor fowl—(also: neither fish nor flesh) neither one thing nor the other (said of smth. difficult to identify):

  • He’s neither fish nor fowl right now … he is not a child, yet he is not a teenager.

Cf.: make fish of one and fowl of the othertreat people, organizations, etc. differently:

  • Why make fish of one and fowl of the other? They were both McKayes now, in the sight of the law, and … they were full brothers!

neither man nor mousenobody; not a single creature:

  • Does he expect to become a god in maintaining a principle that neither man nor mouse in all God’s creation opposes?

Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase neither sugar nor salt—used by smb. not worried by wet weather or as a reproof to a person reluctant to go out into rain:

  • I told her again to go on home, as it was raining. She said she was neither sugar nor salt.