poor-john

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See also: Poor John

English[edit]

Noun[edit]

poor-john (plural poor-johns)

  1. A small European fish, of inferior quality to the cod.
    • 1653, John Harington, A Briefe View of the State of the Church:
      Poor-john and apple pies are all our fare.
  2. Salted and dried hake.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
      What have we here? a man or a fish? dead or / alive? A fish: he smells like a fish: a very ancient and / fish-like smell; a kind of not of the newest Poor-John.

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