As a noun: a tomato-based condiment (variant spelling of ketchup); as a verb: to catch up, to reach the same level or pace as someone else.
As condiment: from Chinese 'ke-tsiap' (salty fish sauce), adopted into English in 17th century. As verb: from 'catch' + 'up,' meaning to overtake. The two meanings represent homonyms that developed separately.
Catchup's origin story is wild—it came from British colonists discovering fermented fish sauce in China, trying to recreate it at home with tomatoes, and creating an entirely new condiment. It's a perfect example of how globalization created food culture centuries ago.
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