Fish or cut bait

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Make a decision now; stop hesitating. To cut bait is to stop fishing.

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THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

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Words nearby Fish or cut bait

fishline, fish louse, fish meal, fishmonger, fishnet, Fish or cut bait, fish out, Fish out of water, fishplate, fish pole, fishpond

Example sentences from the Web for Fish or cut bait

As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When Chérif got out of prison, he worked at the fish counter of a supermarket.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In this cockamamie get-rich scheme, would they all issue an apology if he cut a check?
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“The government just wanted to catch the big fish [in the Juarez cartel] and they ignored everything in between,” Lozoya said.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

My understanding was that according to most Christian beliefs, being trans or gay was a sin, cut and dry.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If the "Y" Beach lot press their advantage they may cut off the enemy troops on the toe of the Peninsula.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
At the reserve bank they may borrow as a standing right and not as a favor which may be cut off.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
It occurred to him then, for the first time, that a third resource was open—he might cut the rope, and let the kite go free!
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
He must be The saltest fish that swims the sea.And, oh!He has a secret woe!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
My thought was to keep pushing in troops from "W" Beach until the enemy had fallen back to save themselves from being cut off.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

Idioms and Phrases with Fish or cut bait

fish or cut bait

Either proceed with an activity or abandon it completely. For example, You've been putting off calling him for hours; either fish or cut bait. This expression, often uttered as an imperative, alludes to a fisherman who should either be actively trying to catch fish or cutting up bait for others to use. It was first recorded in the Congressional Record (1876), when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a vote on a bill legalizing the silver dollar: “I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to ‘fish or cut bait.’” A vulgar synonym from the 1940s is shit or get off the pot.

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