The fishy glitter in his eye became intensified. He looked like a halibut which had been asked by another halibut to lend it a couple of quid till next Wednesday.

The face is compared to a fish being asked for a small loan. That unlikely request gives the fishy stare a comically guarded quality. The exact sum and deadline make the imagined exchange sound ordinary, which sharpens the absurdity of picturing it between halibut.

Context reviewed 20 September 2026