# 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:** 2
**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, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/21 "2012-08-30T20:10:01Z")
Tuna could mean anything, but tuna fish always means the stuff in a can. I suppose you could put it on bread without mayo, but to me it would still be tuna fish/salad. And besides cans, doesn’t it also now come in envelopes? ---
**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, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/22 "2012-08-30T21:39:06Z")
Oddly enough, when I was a kid my mother used to make tuna casserole, but it was made with tuna fish in a can. My brain is starting to hurt. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/23 "2012-08-30T22:01:17Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > 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. If I were as finicky, I would have asked if it was a tuna steak sandwich, which sounds awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/24 "2012-08-30T22:14:07Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > And what about Turtledoves? I liked him better when he was Eric Iverson. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/25 "2012-08-30T22:16:47Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > 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. Oh yeah? Well, explain grapefruit to me. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/26 "2012-08-30T22:56:03Z")
Shrimpbug is already taken. At least, that’s what crawfish are called in MY house. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/27 "2012-08-30T23:25:21Z")
Some Southern Americans call ground beef “hamburger meat”, if that makes you feel any better. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/28 "2012-08-31T00:24:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > 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.) Canadian comedian Tim Steeves had a bit about how Americans always specify “tuna fish”, as opposed to, what, tuna horse? They also say “ice hockey”. If you just say hockey, they’ll be confused and ask you to specify a surface. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/29 "2012-08-31T00:39:22Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What do you ask for when you want a shark sandwich? Dogfish. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/30 "2012-08-31T00:48:58Z")
“Tuna salad” to me would mean a nice seared tuna steak served atop a bed of green salad leaves. Flaked tuna with mayonnaise is “tuna mayo”, as in a tuna mayo sandwich. I don’t think I’ve ever come across flaked tuna in a can with the mayonnaise already mixed in, though. That’s just weird and lazy. **Max** , if I hear “hockey”, I think of field hockey, played by girls in shorts on astroturf. The Canadian thing is ice hockey, because it’s played on ice 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/31 "2012-08-31T02:42:04Z")
> [@phxjcc](#): > > 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.☹ I’ve wondered this many times. Makes no sense whatsoever to me. Same thing with “Navy SEALs.” ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/32 "2012-08-31T02:47:14Z")
> [@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. :: Goes into kitchen, checks label on tin. :: Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna in Water ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/33 "2012-08-31T04:08:54Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > **Max** , if I hear “hockey”, I think of field hockey, played by girls in shorts on astroturf. Pervert. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/34 "2012-08-31T08:22:53Z")
How about catfish fish? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/35 "2012-08-31T15:06:56Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > “Tuna salad” to me would mean a nice seared tuna steak served atop a bed of green salad leaves. By prepared for disappointment if you ever order tuna salad at a deli. Likewise, don’t get your hopes up that the “chicken salad” will consist of an entire roast chicken plopped atop a plate of romaine. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/36 "2012-08-31T16:00:33Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Oh yeah? Well, explain grapefruit to me. Apparently it grows in bunches, like grapes. That’s according to Trivial Persuit. Web searches on the subject sort of bear this out, but I have yet to find a trustworthy cite. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/37 "2012-08-31T16:35:40Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What do you ask for when you want a shark sandwich? Shit sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/38 "2012-08-31T16:42:17Z")
As others have said in the thread, if someone just says tuna, I’m going to think steak or sushi related. Tuna fish is generally the canned variety. So I’ll tend to say tuna fish sandwich, but a tuna sandwich is the same thing. Tuna Salad is something altogether different, it’s not just mayo, but has a few other things in it, usually some celery and stuff. Thus, there is a tuna fish sandwich, which may or may not have mayo, but there’s also a tuna salad sandwich, or just play tuna salad which can be sort of a side dish. There are, of course, salads with chopped up tuna steak in it, I might also call that a tuna salad, but it’s usually some kind of salad with tuna because you could often just as lightly have had chicken or shrimp or whatever in there as protein as well and, obviously, chicken salad is something very different than a salad with chopped up chicken in it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/39 "2012-08-31T16:46:09Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Shit sandwich? Intravenus de Milo. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuna-fish-why-then-why-not-beefmammal-chickenbird-shrimpbug/633177/40 "2012-08-31T16:57:59Z")
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