swim with the fishes—(Underworld) be murdered and have the body disposed of, often in a body of water (also: sleep with the fishes):
- Most people have a family member who is connected to organized crime or “swims with the fishes” because of their connections.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase swim like a fish—(also: swim like a duck) be a good swimmer:
- He swims like a fish, loves horses, wants to start a stud farm…
swim with the sharks—take a huge risk operating among dangerous people:
- Tired of trial and error, I have ceased to swim with the sharks for my dating games. I managed to find a relatively normal guy, who’s also a creative sort.