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English
Noun
poor-john (plural poor-johns)
- 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.
- 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :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.
c. 1613–1616 (date written), Fra Beaumont, Jo Fletcher, The Scornful Ladie. A Comedie. , London: for Myles Partrich, , published 1616, →OCLC, Act II, signature E, recto:f you ſcape vvith life, and take a fagot boat, and a bottle of Vſquebaugh, come home poore men, like a type of Theames Street ſtinking of pitch and poore Iohn.
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