Flounder
a flat fish that swims on one side. It is related to the halibut, sole, and turbot. It is a salt water fish. It frequents muddy shores in search of insects, worms, and small fishes. The body is oval. It is from ten to thirty inches long. A long dorsal and a ventral fin almost surround the body like a fringe. The body is so thin that "flat as a flounder" has became a proverbial comparison. The flounder is a fair table fish. It has the merit of keeping fresh a long time. Some say our verb to flounder is related to the name of the fish. There are several kinds, both British and American.
The fish called the Flounder, perhaps you may know,
Has one side for use and another for show;
One side for the public, a delicate brown,
And one that is white, which he always keeps down.
A very young flounder, the flattest of flats,
(And they're none of them thicker than opera hats,) etc.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Has one side for use and another for show;
One side for the public, a delicate brown,
And one that is white, which he always keeps down.
A very young flounder, the flattest of flats,
(And they're none of them thicker than opera hats,) etc.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Volume II · Aiton’s Encyclopedia