Jack of Dover

A stockfish, “hake salted and dried.” The Latin for a hake is merlucius, and lucius is a jack or pike. Mer, of course, means the sea, and Dover, the chief Clinque Port, is used as a synonym. Also refuse wine collected into a bottle and sold for fresh wine. “To do-over again.” (See Dover.)

Many a Jack of Dover hastow sold
That hath been twyes hot and twyes cold.

Chaucer: Canterbury Tales.

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