# Tuna"fish" -why? Then why not beefmammal, chickenbird, shrimpbug? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177 "2012-08-30T19:00:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/1 "2012-08-30T19:00:33Z")
Tuna is tuna. This is no kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus or species confusion. [ok, maybe species, but I am too lazy to look it up–and they are still _ **fish** _.] What’s with the people that say tunafish? And yes, I am bored.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/2 "2012-08-30T19:02:54Z")
Feel free to start a movement (after having your prunefruit). ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/3 "2012-08-30T19:03:58Z")
WAG at some point when it was first introduced tuna was not a well known word among consumers, so to avoid confusion they labeled it tuna fish and it stuck. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/4 "2012-08-30T19:06:12Z")
I usually just say ‘tuna.’ The title of the thread reminds me of the time me kids and I were eating shrimp for supper and they asked what it was. I said they should finish the shrimp first and then I would tell them. Hilarity ensued! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/5 "2012-08-30T19:08:30Z")
I’m going to assume that a post of mine inspired this thread. Tuna is a fish, often served as a steak or in sushi. Tunafish is cooked, flaked tuna that comes in a can, often mixed with mayonaise and made into a sandwich. They are completely different foods, like grapes and grape soda. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/6 "2012-08-30T19:09:42Z")
I’ll use “tuna” when I’m ordering it or mentioning it in steak form. “I’ll have the seared tuna, please.” When I’m having the canned crap on a sandwich, I call it “tuna fish.” “I’ll have a tuna fish sandwich, please.” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/7 "2012-08-30T19:11:30Z")
There’s also [this variety of cactus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia), which is also apparently called tuna. So maybe it’s disambiguated like dolphinfish. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/8 "2012-08-30T19:11:40Z")
The OP must be Canadian, or perhaps British, where tuna is just called tuna. (And yes **tdn** , I thought of your post in “things I won’t eat” too when I saw this.) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/9 "2012-08-30T19:11:59Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#): > > When I’m having the canned crap on a sandwich, I call it “tuna fish.” “I’ll have a tuna fish sandwich, please.” What do you ask for when you want a shark sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/10 "2012-08-30T19:13:46Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > (And yes **tdn** , I thought of your post in “things I won’t eat” too when I saw this.) Whan I was posting that I was remembering the last time we had this thread and I wondered if I would spawn another one. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/11 "2012-08-30T19:17:04Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What do you ask for when you want a shark sandwich? Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone knows that the only proper way to eat shark is in shark fin soup. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/12 "2012-08-30T19:19:06Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > There’s also [this variety of cactus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia), which is also apparently called tuna. So maybe it’s disambiguated like dolphinfish. Cool, I’d like a tunacactus margarita right about now. Tunafish margarita, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/13 "2012-08-30T19:19:15Z")
I’m still holding out for pureed shark in a squeeze tube. You could put it on a hot dog, put dollops of it on a pizza, even brush your teeth with it. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/14 "2012-08-30T19:21:32Z")
It’s because you can tuna piano but you can’t tuna fish. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/15 "2012-08-30T19:27:07Z")
While we’re at it, why sunfish? Lets just call them suns from now on. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/16 "2012-08-30T19:36:38Z")
And what about Turtledoves? ---
**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:** [August 30, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/17 "2012-08-30T19:38:55Z")
I thought they had been renamed sea kittens. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/18 "2012-08-30T19:53:25Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Tuna is a fish, often served as a steak or in sushi. Tunafish is cooked, flaked tuna that comes in a can, often mixed with mayonaise and made into a sandwich. All wrong. Even in the can it’s still tuna. Mixed with mayo is “tuna salad”. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/19 "2012-08-30T20:01:41Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > All wrong. Even in the can it’s still tuna. Mixed with mayo is “tuna salad”. He’s part right. Growing up, I heard people refer to tuna salad as “tuna fish.” Never heard the term applied to plain tuna in the can, though. I learned this the hard way one day when I was about eight and at a friend’s house, where I was offered a “tuna fish” sandwich. Warily, I asked if they meant tuna _salad_ (which I hated because I loathed and continue to loathe mayonnaise) or tuna itself, which I had no problem with. No, not tuna salad, I was assured. Tuna _fish_! Yeah, it was tuna fucking salad. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/20 "2012-08-30T20:08:59Z")
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