“Did you hear the one about the fight in the fish shop?” goes a joke that has been cited in print since at least 2006. “The fish got battered.” It’s not known who first told the joke.
 
   
The Blade (Toledo, OH)
Published: Sunday, 1/1/2006
Comedians kept Toledo smiling
Did you hear the one about the fight in the fish shop?
 
The fish got battered.
   
India Mike
turbo
Mar 15th, 2006, 19:22
There was a big hoo haa at the local chip shop the other day - the fish got battered and the eggs got beaten!
 
Express & Star (UK)
steve,walsall
August 30, 2007 10:43 am
i saw i fight in my local chippy.between the owner and a fish.luckily the fish got battered !!!!!
 
Whisk: a food blog
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Whisk Wednesdays—Merlans Colbert (Deep-fried Whiting with Tartar Sauce)
(...)
There was a fight at the chip shop last night…the fish got battered.
 
Twitter
statusmessages.co.uk
‏@statusmessages
got involved in a fight in the local chip shop. I was alright but the fish got battered! #funny
9:11 PM - 1 Oct 2010
 
Twitter
Lord Aaron J Wilson™
‏@soundslikeajw
Did anyone hear about the fight last night in the fish and chip shop?.............the fish got battered hahahaha LAME I know #lamejoke
12:57 PM - 9 Jul 2011
 
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‏@oldjeevesw
There was a fight outside the local fish and chip shop. The fish got battered. The chips got assaulted.
6:29 AM - 31 Aug 2011