# Ketchup vs. Catsup

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-vs-catsup/38962>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 30, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-vs-catsup/38962 "2000-10-30T19:54:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-vs-catsup/38962/1 "2000-10-30T19:54:05Z")

</div>

What is the difference between ketchup and catsup?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-vs-catsup/38962/2 "2000-10-30T20:14:28Z")

</div>

[How come they call it “ketchup” sometimes and “catsup” other times?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_102a.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Greener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greener)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-vs-catsup/38962/3 "2000-10-30T20:16:37Z")

</div>

Same word. From Maylay kechap- brine, sauce from Chinese ketsiap.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-vs-catsup/38962/4 "2000-10-30T20:33:53Z")

</div>

And if you run into someone who claims that ketchup is a “dumbed down” spelling of catsup, aim them at the **OED** where a couple of _ke-_ variants appear before any _ca-_ variants (although not by enough years to justify giving either priority).