“If wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches” — Meaning

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The saying “if wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches” features the literary device known as assonance. Assonance is also called “vowel rhyme,” and is a resemblance of sounds caused by the repetition of the same vowel sounds in multiple words. 

In this sentence, the assonance is the repetition of the “I” sound.

This saying also features consonance, which is the counterpart to assonance, and involves repeated consonant sounds.

In this sentence, the consonance is the repetition of the “sh” and “ch” sounds. Consonance is also called “slant rhyme.”

This poetic and pleasing sound pattern makes this proverb sound almost like a tongue twister. 

However, unlike the children’s favorite “Sally sells seashells on the seashore,” the creative old adage “if wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches” actually has a weighty meaning, despite the fact that it sounds like nonsense when you first hear it. 

 

What is meant by “if wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches”?

This proverb is saying that if wishes were fishes, we would all have as much fish as we wanted and therefore be rich. However, wishes are not fishes. It therefore makes about as much sense to count on wishes to be fishes as it does to blindly hope for something without taking steps to achieve it. 

 

Origins of the phrase “if wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches”

This saying has several iterations, the earliest of which was printed in William Camden’s 1605 Old English Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine. This work contained the phrase “If wishes were thrushes beggars would eat birds.”

This was followed in 1628 by the slightly different variation, “and wishes were horses, pure [poor] men wald [would] ride,” included in Proverbs of the Scots, attributed to James Carmichael.

In 1721, the saying was included in James Kelly’s Scottish Proverbs, Collected and Arranged, as, “If wishes were horses beggars would ride.”

In a newer form, the proverb became two sets of rhyming couplets: 

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. 

If turnips were watches, I’d wear one by my side. 

If “ifs” and “ands” were pots and pans, 

There’d be no work for tinker’s hands. 

It is not clear when and where the variation “If wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches” developed. 

The sentiment all these variations of this saying have in common is that if wishing were enough to bring something about, then without a shadow of a doubt, those who have nothing would indubitably have everything they needed. 

The non-sensical, slightly fantastical element to these proverbs also highlights the point that it is foolish to wish for things without taking action to achieve them. 

The main point is that you might respond “but they aren’t,” to all of the “ifs.” If wishes were fishes, we’d all have as many fish as we wanted and would be rich.

But wishes are not fishes, and we are not all rich, just as wishes are not horses and poor men cannot ride imaginary horses.

Therefore, if you want to be rich, you will have to do more than wish and get to work. In many ways, the proverb is also a reminder to be grateful for what one already has, which is the opportunity to work, rather than wish listlessly for things one doesn’t have.

In many ways, this proverb of Scottish origin is a more playful version of the more formal phrase “God helps those who help themselves.”

This religious proverb is often used to tell off those who complain of the world being unfair to them, or of things not going their way. 

When someone complains that they wish things were different, you might respond by saying that “God helps those who help themselves.” 

This means that the person complaining about deplorable unfairness may yet achieve what they want to, and hoping and good fortune may go some way to helping them get there, but it will do nothing in isolation. 

In order to achieve what they wish for, and in order for God to help them along the way, they will need to help themselves get there by working for it. 

 

How to use “If wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches”

So how is this Medieval phrase used in modern English? 

It is fairly common to hear just the first part of the proverb used. People often say “if wishes were fishes” in response to someone saying they wished something. 

For example, if a child tells their parent that they wish they didn’t have to walk home, their parent might respond, “yes, well, if wishes were fishes.” 

The implication here is that just as wishes are not fishes, the child must walk home. 

The phrase has also featured in popular media, including in the 1983 song “If Wishes Were Fishes” by Eric Bogle, in which he sings “if wishes were fishes we’d all cast nets into the sea.”

This variation of the phrase, which is now often repeated, has the additional implication that those who are homesick or unsatisfied and wish things were different, are not special. 

If wishes were fishes, we would all cast nets into the sea to catch them, because we all have experience with wishing for and things we do not have and wanting to change things we do. 

In many ways, the phrase is another way of saying “talk is cheap.” 

 

Popular modern variations of the phrase “if wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches”

This phrase has also morphed into the popular saying “if ‘ifs’ and ‘ands’ were pots and pans, there’d surely be dishes to clean.” 

This is usually said to stop those who are trying to wriggle their way out of a task by using the words “if” and “and”, and reminding them that regardless of the circumstances, there is always work to do. 

Another modern variation coined by the sports commentator Don Meredith, is “if ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candies and nuts, we would have a great Christmas.” 

This essentially means, if all the reasons being given for why something cannot be achieved were snacks, one could throw a great party. 

In other reasons, stop erring on the side of caution and finding so many reasons why something cannot happen and just enjoy the moment!

This modern spin on the old proverb can be a great way to save the mood at a party by injecting some humor into the situation.