Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

the fish rots from the head

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.73 in modern English

Syllables: the -fish rot-s from the -head
IPA

43

Scrabble Score

22

Letters

4

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

Bad leaders harm an organization.

Etymology

Attested in Adages of Erasmus (16 c., Latin): Piscis primum a capite foetet (“The fish stinks first from the head”).

Phrases

shit rolls downhill

Frequently Paired Words

shit rolls downhill

Questions

What does the fish rots from the head mean?: Bad leaders harm an organization.
Where does the fish rots from the head come from?: Attested in Adages of Erasmus (16 c., Latin): Piscis primum a capite foetet (“The fish stinks first from the head”).

How to pronounce the fish rots from the head

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