Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor-John.

Summary

This quote is from William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. The character Benedick, in a witty exchange with Beatrice, says that it is a good thing she is not a fish because if she were, she would be a poor-John. Poor-John is a term referring to a salted and dried fish, hence the play on words. This quote illustrates Benedick's quick and sarcastic humor, as well as the playful banter between Benedick and Beatrice throughout the play.

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