Catching Up
Not that long ago I edited a book in which the characters liked “catchup” on their burgers and fries. This looked like a problem to me. Actually, to my eye it looked slightly ridiculous. I dutifully changed every instance of “catchup” to either “ketchup” or “catsup” (I can’t remember which spelling I chose, and I am too lazy to look it up in my notes right now). Then, about five minutes ago, I was idly leafing through Merriam-Webster’s Concise Dictionary of English Usage (because that is the sort of thing I do on the weekends) when my eye fell upon the “catsup, ketchup, catchup” entry.
Turns out I was wrong. It seems “catchup,” though much less common than either of the other spellings, is perfectly fine. “All three spellings are standard,” the usage dictionary says. Heck, Hemingway used “catchup,” so it must be okay.
The lesson? Always look things up, even (or especially) when you are sure you are right!
By the way, I still think “a bottle of catchup” looks weird, but who am I to argue with Merriam-Webster, Inc.?
-
Meta
