Poor Johnn.

1589 Summarie Drakes W. Indian Voy. 5 In this ship was great store of drie Newland fish, commonly called with vs Poore Iohn.

1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. i. 30 Tis well thou art fish, if thou hadst, thou hadst bin poore Iohn. View more context for this quotation

a1612 J. Harington Epigrams (1618) ii. 50 Poore-Iohn, and Apple-pyes are all our fare.

1657 R. Ligon True Hist. Barbados 113 Two barrels of salt Fish, and 500 poore-Johns, which we have from New England.

1695 W. Congreve Love for Love ii. i. 26 I warrant now he'd rather eat a Pheasant, than a piece of poor John.

1703 Ornatissimus Joculator iii. 108 In the Commonwealth of Fishes are many Officers; Herring the King, Sword-fish his Guard, Lobsters are Aldermen, Crabs are Constables, and poor Johns the common sort of People.

1769 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. (new ed.) III. iv. 157 When cured it [sc. the hake] is known by the name of Poor John.

1841 Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) p. xlii Salted cod, and hake or Poor John, had been in long esteem as Lenten food.

1940 H. A. Innis Cod Fisheries ii. 11 Cod taken in winter in Iceland..were known as ‘stockfish’: when taken in summer and dried they became the ‘poor john’ of Newfoundland.

1971 S. E. Morison European Discov. Amer., Northern Voys. xiv. 476 The final sun-cured codfish, called stockfish or poor-john in English..became a delicious, savory morsel when soaked out and properly cooked.

1992 P. O'Brian Clarissa Oakes iv. 92 Swordfish was like mackerel in these latitudes, mate, prime before sunset, poor-john the second day, and rank poison the third.

1589 J. Lyly Pappe with Hatchet 29 It is your poore Johns, that with your painted consciences haue coloured the religion of diuers.

1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Zannuolo, a sillie Iohn, a poore Iohn, a iacke, a wagge, a wanton.