“Tuna fish” is a phase used primarily for canned tuna, but not for the live fish or things like tuna steak. It’s because when canned tuna was created in the US in the early 1900’s people who were not right next to the sea (like the majority of the US) did not know what “tuna” was. Firstly, the word is a of Spanish origin and secondly, its a salt water only fish. So in order to sell this to middle America, which was where most of the consumers were at the time but was also made up of people who have never seen the ocean, they added the word “fish” to show like other tinned fish that was commonly purchased: codfish, bluefish, and whitefish, this is also a fish and that is what you can expect when you open this can.
When I hear tuna fish I think stuff in the can. When I hear Tuna I think the filet. I know that’s just me.
Same thing as “left-hand side”. You’re not children anymore, you can just say left side.
Would “left-foot side” make sense? Would it be different from the hand?
There’s no one single reason, but the top theories:
- Tuna oil was a thing before “tuna fish”. Yes, people could have said “tuna” but they didn’t. That’s language for you. People say “ATM machine” and “PIN number”, too.
- “Tuna fish” has a slightly sing-song pattern to the stressed/unstressed syllables that probably contributed
- For whatever reason, “tuna fish” tends to refer to canned tuna, whereas “tuna” can include fresh (or frozen) tuna.
It’s… just how language evolves.
I think, however, that “tuna fish” is slowly dying out in favour of just “tuna”. As a 50 year old, anecdotally I have seen the usage decrease in my lifetime.
I agree with 3. That’s exactly how my head cannon works and from what I can tell, others around me.
That’s “chicken bird for midday lunch,” Carl.
I think it’s mostly for the dad joke:
You can tune a piano, but you can’t tune a fish.
“Hand me that can of tuna please, I want to make a tuna fish sandwich. “
These words have come out of my mouth.
Yes they’re wrong. But something about the cadence.
If we didn’t say that, we wouldn’t have the joke about the difference between a piano and a fish.
It’s to make sure we know we’re having tuna fish instead of tuna of the land, which is what we call chicken.
I’ve never heard an American call it tuna fish. I’ve only ever heard Bri*ish people call it that.
Some of you have never eaten tuna cow and it shows
It’s about conversational cadence. If it was descriptive it would be a hyphenate.
Chai may mean tea, but since it is different from the typical English tea ‘chai’ was modified to be an adjective for tea denoting the difference. Because that’s how language works.
Is the 3rd movie out?
Yeah, stop it with the redundant pleonasms!
Colloquially tuna fish refers to the shredded salt brined tins of fish like this:
Which I do think is worth distinguishing from the actual whole pieces of tuna
Why do they need to specify it’s in water? It’s a fish, of course it needs to be in water.
Some are in oil, but as BP learned, this kills the crab.
Which I do think is worth distinguishing from the actual whole pieces of tuna
So a tuna can…? Canned Tuna? Canned Fish?
“Tuna Fish” is still redundant and doesn’t actually address the can
Yes, language evolves haphazardly and often doesn’t make literal sense.
Alright, that’s my 2 cents. I’ll catch you on the flipside.
Like how using the word “literally” somehow became not literal.
I want the destroy those people. Literally.
How old is the “2 cents” figure of speech? Why hasn’t it adjusted with inflation?
The concept could be as old as the New Testament, but apparently this specific phrasing is from the early 1900s, so it’d be about 60-70¢ now depending on which year you want to pick.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/two-cents-and-sensibility/
Flipside of what? Are we flipping coins, and you will see us underneath the coins?
Wait till you hear about “soda pop”
“I want a coke. No not that one - the Mountain Dew!”
I see you’ve also been to Georgia
I don’t disagree with you but I don’t control American English. I imagine both head cheese and sweetbreads would also upset you
I don’t control American English
Maybe try harder. Be the change you want to see in the world. I don’t necessarily believe in you but I’m sure someone does! And in the end that’s all the motivation you need.
I don’t control American English
Look, Americans are genetically dumb as we all know, but I don’t think Tuna Fish is necessarily a consequence of that affliction in particular. It’s like saying “Sail Fish”, “Sail” is not a fish, it is the canvas you put on boat masts, and “Tuna Fish” is like that I think. It’s a type of fish, of the tuna kind. That said, before I go just let me take another opportunity to state that Americans are genetically dumb as we all know.
If you want to talk eugenics, Twitter is that way ->
Hahaha eugenics? Have you considered not skipping school and stop drinking lead paint? First of all it’s a fucking joke, second of all, there was no mention of eugenics, thirdly, how do you think intelligence works? Magic?
Brined tuna is an abomination before God. It must be sunflower oil.
