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Why tuna fish?
This may not be the correct branch for this question, but I'm sure some US friends can provide an answer to a mystery. It is summer in Australia, and today, on the coast near the Great Ocean Road where we live, the temperature was a pleasant 30oC.
My wife and I were enjoying Salade Nicoise, one of the ingredients of which is 'tuna'. We shared such a dish in Europe last July with a couple from the US, and they referred to this ingredient as 'tuna-fish'. Is that the usual name in the USA? Is there some other sort of tuna that is not a fish? I assume that folks in the USA do not refer to 'halibut-fish' or 'salmon-fish' etc. So why 'tuna-fish'? We are assuming that there must be a simple answer: it's just not immediately obvious to us. |
Tunas are groups of college singers and guitar players in Spain. I guess the person who listed the ingredients of the Salade Niçoise wished to stress which tuna he/her was referring to
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I don't know why they sometimes refer to "tuna" as "tuna fish" in the US. However, in my experience the added "fish" suffix is only applied when eating canned tuna on a sandwich. For example, "tuna fish sandwich." When dining out or purchasing from a grocery store, a piece of tuna is simply called "tuna". Seems odd to me that your friends used "tuna fish" for tuna in salade nicoise...
We do refer to dolphin fish as "dolphin fish" to differentiate it from dolphin the mammal, but that is the only other "fish" suffix I can think of un the US, and one that actually makes sense! Dave |
Not only was I raised to refer to tuna as "tuna fish", it had the even more specific meaning of "tuna salad" in our home, especially in the expression "tuna fish sandwich". My wife and I seem to have succeeeded in raising our kids to say "can of tuna" (not "can of tuna fish") - - but they still will frequently refer to a tuna salad sandwich as a "tuna fish sandwich". For what it's worth, they seemed to have learned (from their friends) a preference (at least some of the time) to eat a "tuna melt" (a sandwich, sometimes open-face, or on a bagel... of tuna with cheese melted on top, under the broiler - - does NOT contain tuna <i><u>salad</u></i>, typically).
But you're right, they don't refer to "salmon-fish"... of course, there is no other fish (canned or otherwise) that we routinely combine with mayonnaise, pickle, boiled egg, etc to make a "salad" (for sandwich purposes). Of course, they woule never refer to a "chicken salad sandwich" as a "chicken-bird sandwich", nor a "ham salad sanwich" as a "ham-mammal sandwich"... LOL! (Final aside: all three of our daughters - - but especially our youngest - - seems to have acquired the preference for combining cottage cheese into tuna salad... it's okay, but still seems odd to me - - she typically does NOT want hardboiled egg, nor chopped pickle in hers; personally, I think that a little bit of chopped celerey and/or onion are good in there also). Odd topic, to be discussing at breakfast time (here in the US)! Best wishes, Rex |
I know you can tune a piano, but can you really tuna fish?
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The use of the term "tuna fish" is common in the USA, especially when one is referring to ingredients of a sandwich as has been explained.
BUT (and there always seems to be one, doesn't there?) there are many people in the USA who would also describe said sandwich as a "tuna sandwich" rather than as a "tuna fish sandwich." It may be similar to why people who speak of the well-known religious saint and the keg-carrying dog known as Bernaaaaaard and yet living human beings with the same name are very commonly referred to as Berrrrrrrrnerd...so who knows? I admit, this topic is far more interesting than trying to figure out how many posts can be placed on TripAdvisor in one 24-hour period before people here arbitarily decide they must be bogus. |
In the warmer climes of the Americas, the edible fruits of certain cacti are called "tuna." Perhaps the use of "tuna fish" originated among English-speakers in these areas to avoid confusion.
Or perhaps not. |
My husband thinks that it is so good, that you could eat a TUNA fish, just like that! Hence the term, tuna fish...
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Hi A,
Before the advertisers changed it to Tuna Fish, it was called Horse Mackerel, and was considered a trash fish. On the Chesapeake Bay, striped bass are known as Rock Fish. There are also Blue Fish. ((I)) |
PS
Sword Fish |
Cod fish
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i guess it's just one of those things. if i remember correctly, they do the same thing in germany as it is called "thunfische".
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One Fish
Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish |
Shad! Nobody ever calls this one "Shad Fish"
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I have a stereo tuner, that isn't nice to eat..
;-) Muck |
When I was a kid,my mom also made "tuna fish casserole."
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You mean "tuna casserole" or was that only during Lent?
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You could always call it "tunny.
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whitefish (thinking of our North American Great Lakes in particular)
sailfish (these make more sense) Rex, re: your comment on this tuna-topic at breakfast -- I sometimes crave a tuna (tuna-fish, tuna salad, tuna-fish salad, take your pick) sandwich for breakfast. Love that protein kick! Not sure about the cottage cheese option, but I have been known to make it with curry powder and chopped apples... |
I wonder how many other people actually eat breakfast while surfing at this site?
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from Kip Addota:
It was April the forty-first Being a quadruple leap year I was driving in downtown Atlantis My barracuda was in the shop So I was in a rented stingray And it was overheating So I pulled into a Shell Station They said I’d blown a seal I said, “Fix the damn thing And leave my private life out of it Okay pal?” While they were doing that I walked over to a place called the Oyster Bar, a real dive But I knew the owner He used to play for the Dolphins I said “Hi Gil” You have to yell, he’s hard of herring Gil was also down on his luck Fact is he was barely keeping his head below water I bellied up to the sandbar He poured me the usual Rusty snail, hold the grunion Shaken not stirred With a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich on the side Heavy on the mako I slipped him a fin On porpoise I was feeling good I even dropped a sand dollar in the box for Jerry’s squids For the halibut Well the place was crowded We were packed in like sardines They were all there to listen to the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsal What sole Tommy was rockin’ the place with a very popular tuna Salmon Chanted Evening And the stage was surrounded by screaming groupers Probably there to see the bass player One of them was this cute little yellowtail And she’s giving me the eye So I figured this is my chance for a little fun You know, piece of Pisces But she said things I just couldn’t fathom She was too deep, seemed to be under a lot of pressure Boy, could she drink She drank like a . . . She drank a lot I said “What’s your sign” She said “Aquarium” I said “Great, let’s get tanked” I invited her to my place for a midnight bait I said “Come on baby, it’ll only take a few minnows” She threw me that same old line “Not tonight, I gotta haddock” And she wasn’t kidding either Cause in came the biggest, meanest looking haddock I’d ever seen come down the pike He was covered with mussels He came over to me and said “Listen, shrimp, don’t you come trollin’ around here” What a crab This guy was steamed I could see the anchor in his eyes I turned to him, I said “A-balone, you’re just being shellfish” Well, I knew it was going to be trouble and so did Gil ‘Cause he was already on the phone to the cods The haddock hits me with a sucker punch I catch him with a left hook He eels over It was a fluke but there he was Lying on the deck, flat as a mackerel Kelpless I said “Forget the cods Gil This guy’s gonna need a sturgeon” Well, the yellowtail was impressed with the way I landed her boyfriend She came over to me, she said “Hey, big boy, you’re really a game fish What’s your name” I said “Marlin” Well, from then on we had a whale of a time I took her to dinner, I took her to dance I bought her a bouquet of flounders And then I went home with her And what did I get for my trouble A case of the clams |
Sorry about that, but it had to be done!
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crayfish/crawfish (a crustacean)
cuttlefish (a cephalopod mollusc) snapfish (an online photo processor) |
By the way, Di - that smelt.
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Well, I would never carp about another's post.
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Carp away! You won't be the sole person to flounder around in this post. Anyway, tonight we're having penne with tuna, tomato, onion and garlic sauce. Still no 'tunafish', but so it goes.
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A man went to the fishmonger and bought two fish.
On the way home he discovered that he had three. How was that? |
He had one before he went to the fishmonger?
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No, he bought two mackerel and one smelt.
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Dog fish
Cat fish Bone fish Puffer fish Red fish |
cold fish
dead fish microfiche |
that's a good question since it didn't help Jessica figure out if it was 'tuna' or 'chicken'...
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Oldie -- OUCH!!!
Travelnut -- that "is this chicken or fish" incident with Jessica was perhaps the funniest bit of reality TV I have ever seen, second only to a bit on the Man Show where a fellow actually went and had his bottom waxed to see if it really hurt, but I digress... |
Don't forget Babblefish.
But, then again, it might get translated as "Forget Babblefish" |
You can tune a piano, you can tune a guitar,
but you can't tuna fish! |
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