goldfish bowl

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡoʊldfɪʃ ˈboʊl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

goldfish bowl (plural goldfish bowls)

1. A transparent bowl in which pet fish are kept.
2. (by extension) Any place that lacks privacy, especially a room with a large window facing a public area.
   • 2023 November 1, Nick Brodrick talks to Jason Cocker, “A station that "oozes" customer service...”, in RAIL, number 995, page 50:

     "Because East Midlands Railway's HQ is here in Derby, we're rather in a goldfish bowl... and now there's the announcement that Derby will be the Great British Railway headquarters, so the goldfish bowl is about to get a whole lot bigger," he says.

Synonyms

• fish bowl

Translations

bowl in which fish are kept

• Finnish: kalamalja
• German: Goldfischglas (de) n
• Japanese: 金魚鉢 (ja) (きんぎょばち, kingyobachi)