fishess

plural fishesses

1. humorousrareA female fish.

   I don’t suppose you ever heard of the clam-oyster war. […] I was just a sardine then, but I have often heard the old fishes and fishesses talk about it.

   1913 May 17, Donald P. MacGregor, “Facts About Fish”, in The Notre Dame Scholastic, volume XLVI, number 32, Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame, →OCLC, page 507, column 2

   2 more examples

   Now, in this aquarium there are four educated goldfish; at least, two are fish and the other two are fishesses. I think myself that fishesses are really more intelligent than fish. The only difference between fish and fishesses is that fish have votes.

   1911, David Devant, “With Fish and Letters. The Educated Fish”, in Nevil Maskelyne, David Devant, Our Magic: The Art in Magic, the Theory of Magic, the Practice of Magic, New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Company […], →OCLC, part III (The Practice of Magic), page 445

   WHAT would you say to spending the day at a moving picture studio? (Unnecessary question No. 1.) What would you say to spending the day at the Kleine studio in New York—with Billie Burke? (Vurr’, vurr’ unnecessary question No. 2.) What would you say? Ye gods and goddesses and little fishesses! If the surprise of having the chance didn’t take your breath away—you’d yelp with joy—of course. Who wouldn’t?

   1913 March 5, Mae Tinee [pseudonym; Frances Peck Grover], “Right off the Reel: A Day in a Studio with Billie Burke”, in The Chicago Sunday Tribune, volume LXXV, number 10, Chicago, Ill.: Tribune Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, part 5 (Color Section), page [3], column 1

   Synonyms: hen, henfish, spawner