January's Chin: 'Merchant's Tale' 1824-27

Author / Editor
Tkacz, Catherine Brown.

Title
January's Chin: 'Merchant's Tale' 1824-27

Published
Geardagum 8 (1987): 13-18.

Description
When January shaves for his wedding night, he only makes himself like a "houndfyssh." Earlier, he would join "Oold fissh and yong flessh" (line 1418)--but with himself in the role of a sexually satisfying "pyk," not a disgusting dogfish. The beard-making idiom implies sexual deceit.

Chaucer Subjects
Merchant and His Tale.