About: Fishwife

A fishwife, fish-fag or fishlass is a person who sells fish. Fishwife was originally a neuter term unlike fish (masculine) and scales (feminine) however somewhere along the line became linked to women. Some wives and daughters of fishermen were notoriously loud and foul-mouthed, as noted in the expression, To swear like a fishwife as they sold fish in the marketplace. One reason for their outspokenness is that their wares were highly perishable and so lost value if not sold quickly. Also, living alone as their fishing spouses may be absent for extended periods, they learned how to survive in a world run by men. Fishwives in fishing villages such as Cullercoats and Newhaven were noted for their beauty, hardiness and industry and were celebrated by artists and royalty.