Kettle of Fish

"Fishing for information in Massachusetts" asks:
> What's the derivation of the expression "kettle of fish," e.g. "that's
> a different kettle of fish," or "that's a fine kettle of fish"? I
> understand that "kettle of fish" means something to be considered, but
> how did it come to mean that? What's the literal behind the idiom?

Well, a "Kettle" is, as my dictionary so succulently puts it: "A metal container with a handle and spout for boiling water." I don't know if the word is in common use in the States, but in the UK, at least, and perhaps in other english speaking countries, its still used.

You can see a nice selection of them here:

http://images.google.com/images?q=kettle

The word kettle comes from the Old English cietel, meaning the same. Also the Old Norse ketill, and Old High German kezzel. Also related to the latin catillus (little pot) and catinus (pot).

About the actual phrase "kettle of fish", there are two meanings, really. Firstly to mean, as you said "something to be considered", and secondly meant, ironically, to mean a mess, or a problematical situation.

http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-ket1.htm

Has a great page about this topic, and gives some references to first known usages of the phrase, and possible reasons why we have the expression now.

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