# Catsup or Ketchup **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915 "2011-01-08T20:50:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/1 "2011-01-08T20:50:42Z")
What is the difference, or is there? ---
**Author:** ![Pearson\_Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pearson_flyer/32/7241_2.png) [@Pearson\_Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearson_Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/2 "2011-01-08T20:57:35Z")
There is no difference. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/3 "2011-01-08T21:20:27Z")
The only difference is the spelling. I tend to spell it “ketchup” because that most closely resembles the way I actually pronounce the word. Years ago, we had a foster-kid (well, she was about 15) living with us. She was _incredibly_ gullible (not stupid, just gullible). One of the many things we convinced her of was that ‘catsup’ was short-hand for ‘cat soup’ and that there were actual ground cats in it. If you didn’t want cats in your tomato-and-HFCS-based sauce, you had to demand “ketchup”. 😛 We were evil. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/4 "2011-01-08T23:20:33Z")
[ketchup - Dictionary definition and pronunciation - Yahoo! Education](http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry?id=K0043200) > [@](#): > > ETYMOLOGY: > Probably Malay kicap, fish sauce, possibly from Chinese (Cantonese) k-chap, equivalent to Chinese (Mandarin) qié, eggplant + Chinese (Mandarin) zh, sap, gravy > [@](#): > > WORD HISTORY: > The word ketchup exemplifies the types of modifications that can take place in borrowingboth of words and substances. The source of our word ketchup may be the Malay word kchap, possibly taken into Malay from the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. Kchap, like ketchup, was a sauce, but one without tomatoes; rather, it contained fish brine, herbs, and spices. Sailors seem to have brought the sauce to Europe, where it was made with locally available ingredients such as the juice of mushrooms or walnuts. At some unknown point, when the juice of tomatoes was first used, ketchup as we know it was born. But it is important to realize that in the 18th and 19th centuries ketchup was a generic term for sauces whose only common ingredient was vinegar. The word is first recorded in English in 1690 in the form catchup, in 1711 in the form ketchup, and in 1730 in the form catsup. All three spelling variants of this foreign borrowing remain current. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/5 "2011-01-09T00:02:34Z")
I’ve never heard of “Catsup” whatever it is. Certainly any such product I’ve ever bought has had “Ketchup” written on it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/6 "2011-01-09T00:57:46Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > I’ve never heard of “Catsup” whatever it is. Certainly any such product I’ve ever bought has had “Ketchup” written on it. [Del Monte Catsup](http://www.adclassix.com/ads2/54delmontecatsup.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/7 "2011-01-09T01:38:22Z")
Wow, someone shouldl have posted this quicker. Cecil has a column on this already. [Ketchup and Catsup?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/683/how-come-they-call-it-ketchup-sometimes-and-catsup-other-times) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/8 "2011-01-09T01:46:08Z")
In Oz they call it [tomato sauce](http://www.simplyoz.com/products/australian_foods/vegemite __groceries__ beverages/sauces/fountains_tomato_sauce). ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/9 "2011-01-09T02:06:02Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Wow, someone shouldl have posted this quicker. Cecil has a column on this already. > > [Ketchup and Catsup?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/683/how-come-they-call-it-ketchup-sometimes-and-catsup-other-times) Well, I _could_ have pointed this out, but I wanted to give you the opportunity. Y’know, so you’d feel special n’ all. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/10 "2011-01-09T02:25:40Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Wow, someone shouldl have posted this quicker. Cecil has a column on this already. > > [Ketchup and Catsup?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/683/how-come-they-call-it-ketchup-sometimes-and-catsup-other-times) Someone should have posted [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2VW3F82QsU) earlier. My apologies for the audio; the title should be self-explanatory. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/11 "2011-01-09T03:42:45Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > I’ve never heard of “Catsup” whatever it is. Certainly any such product I’ve ever bought has had “Ketchup” written on it. > [@Chefguy](#): > > [Del Monte Catsup](http://www.adclassix.com/ads2/54delmontecatsup.htm). Also: [Hunts Catsup](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW9PdERK2No) When I was growing up catsup was the “grownup” pronunciation and ketchup/catchup was the “kiddie” pronunciation. About 1983-84 or so Del Monte was in the news as being the last major brand to change the spelling to ketchup. Dennis Miller mentioned it on Weekend Update and added the punchline “In a show of solidarity, the long running broadway musical changed its name to ‘Ketch’” Sorry, I can’t find a clip of that anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/12 "2011-01-09T07:11:45Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > In Oz they call it [tomato sauce](http://www.simplyoz.com/products/australian_foods/vegemite __groceries__ beverages/sauces/fountains_tomato_sauce). Then what is “tomato sauce” called? In the U.S., tomato sauce comes in jars or cans and is thinner and has less seasoning than ketchup. It’s used as an ingredient, as opposed to a condiment. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/13 "2011-01-09T07:59:06Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Then what is “tomato sauce” called? In the U.S., tomato sauce comes in jars or cans and is thinner and has less seasoning than ketchup. It’s used as an ingredient, as opposed to a condiment. That sounds like crushed tomatoes (or “crushed tomatoes with XYZ”). Thicken it up, and it’s “tomato paste”. ---
**Author:** ![ecseas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ecseas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecseas)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/14 "2011-01-09T11:55:28Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > In Oz they call it [tomato sauce](http://www.simplyoz.com/products/australian_foods/vegemite __groceries__ beverages/sauces/fountains_tomato_sauce). tomato sauce is different to ketchup. Tomato sauce is sweet, and pretty bland. ketchup has spices. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/15 "2011-01-09T12:00:35Z")
Cat-sup… you are enjoying cat food. And Mouse-turds for an American Frankfurter Sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/16 "2011-01-09T14:38:02Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Then what is “tomato sauce” called? In the U.S., tomato sauce comes in jars or cans and is thinner and has less seasoning than ketchup. It’s used as an ingredient, as opposed to a condiment. Sounds like a seasoned passata. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/17 "2011-01-09T14:39:31Z")
> [@ecseas](#): > > tomato sauce is different to ketchup. > Tomato sauce is sweet, and pretty bland. ketchup has spices. In the UK they use “tomato sauce” as well and it means exactly the same think as ketchup. People like me will happily refer to Heinz Tomato Ketchup as “tomato sauce”. I have done ever since I was a wee kid. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/18 "2011-01-09T16:26:28Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Then what is “tomato sauce” called? In the U.S., tomato sauce comes in jars or cans and is thinner and has less seasoning than ketchup. It’s used as an ingredient, as opposed to a condiment. Perhaps they call it just spaghetti sauce? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/19 "2011-01-09T23:08:34Z")
Catsup was there old spelling. I think there was an article in the paper in the 80’s or 90’s when the last hold out, I forget, it was either Heinz or Hunt’s, finally capitulated. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915/20 "2011-01-10T10:52:22Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > That sounds like crushed tomatoes (or “crushed tomatoes with XYZ”). Thicken it up, and it’s “tomato paste”. No, at least in the U.S., “tomato sauce” is smooth; it doesn’t have little chunks of tomato in it like crushed tomatoes. Neither does tomato paste. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catsup-or-ketchup/566915.md?page=2)