# Ketchy Shuby? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316 "2001-05-23T17:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/1 "2001-05-23T17:05:50Z")
I’m listening to Peter Tosh’s song _Ketchy Shuby_ and can’t figure out what the lyrics mean. A snipit is below. Any ideas? > [@](#): > > AND WHEN YOU’RE KETCHY > DON’T MAKE IT DROP > 'CAUSE IF IT DROP > IT WILL POP > > AND IF IT POP > NO ONE CAN MEND IT > 'CAUSE IF THEY MEND IT > YOU CAN EASILY BEND IT ---
**Author:** ![hockeynut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@hockeynut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hockeynut)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/2 "2001-05-23T21:43:59Z")
Sex, Mon…I got this information from the Rasta/Patois Dictionary at [http://niceup.com/patois.txt](http://niceup.com/patois.txt) KETCHY-CHUBY: It can be a sexual term meaning the man throw it and the woman catch it! It can also mean a game - life’s game, how to see through today to meet tomorrow and all the games of life as in “life is just a ketchy-chuby game.” ---
**Author:** ![alsoknownas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@alsoknownas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alsoknownas)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/3 "2017-08-21T09:02:46Z")
My best guess is that Ketchy Shuby is a child’s catching game (Catchy… something). Tosh is of course turning this into a sexual innuendo (let’s play catch and toss all night!). ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/4 "2017-08-21T12:59:53Z")
> [@alsoknownas](#): > > My best guess is that Ketchy Shuby is a child’s catching game (Catchy… something). Tosh is of course turning this into a sexual innuendo (let’s play catch and toss all night!). Was this bumped by a spammer, or did something else prompt you to raise an ancient one reply thread with a wild guess? ---
**Author:** ![Kilometre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@Kilometre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilometre)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/5 "2018-06-12T04:16:39Z")
> [@hockeynut](#): > > Sex, Mon…I got this information from the Rasta/Patois Dictionary at [Rasta/Patois Dictionary](http://niceup.com/patois.txt) > > KETCHY-CHUBY: It can be a sexual term meaning the man throw it and the woman catch it! It can also mean a game - life’s game, how to see through today to meet tomorrow and all the games of life as in “life is just a ketchy-chuby game.” I totally agree with you. Definitely about sex. I believe he is also using criket as a metaphor because catching and throwing is metaphor commonly used when referring to sex. It’s quite hilarious and very catchy shuby ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/6 "2018-06-12T05:04:49Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Note this thread was started in 2001. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/7 "2018-06-12T05:57:28Z")
I immediately thought of a shubb capo, catching on the guitar neck. That’s the only time I’ve ever heard shubb used. It’s a fantastic capo. Bit hard to adjust playing live. Yeah, I’m a music geek. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![alsoknownas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@alsoknownas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alsoknownas)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchy-shuby/66316/8 "2018-08-05T21:45:37Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Was this bumped by a spammer, or did something else prompt you to raise an ancient one reply thread with a wild guess? I don’t recall. Probably I listened to the song for the first time and came looking for answers.