herring

[Robin Hamilton]

> "Shotten" and "sick" seems to be a designation of post-spawn herring.
> But there is no actual description for the "special designation"
> assigned to these in 4. Further below, "shotten" is also referred to as
> "empty", apparently confirming the meaning.

Brewer, _Dictionary of Phrase and Fable_, has this for "Shotten Herring":

<< A lean spiritless creature, a Jack-o'-Lent, like a herring that has shot
or ejected its spawn. Herrings gutted and dried are so called also.

"Though they like shotten-herrings are to see,
Yet such tall souldiers of their teeth they be,
That two of them, like greedy cormorants,
Devour more then sixe honest Protestants."

Taylor's Workes, iii. 5.   >>

The fourth (1811 -- also earlier?) edition of Grose has, "Shotten Herring --
A thin meagre fellow."

(I'd thought "shotten herring" was Scots, but apparently not -- it's not in
the DSL.)

Robin

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