How did the Jew Fish get its name, was it for anti-semetic reasons?

Brainyblonde

The name "jewfish," which some find offensive, is on the way out. In a rare move, the group responsible for naming fish in the Americas is changing the common name of Florida's largest grouper species. No one knows for sure how the jewfish got its name, although several theories exist, said Nelson, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta. One theory is that when people started eating the fish, they found its flesh very clean, like kosher food. A less pleasant theory is that in the 1800s, jewfish were considered trash fish, and some people declared it was only fit for Jews. Yet another theory is that it was called "jawfish" for its huge mouth, and that later became "jewfish" through Southern accents and colloquialisms. And those aren't even all the theories. http://www.sptimes.com/News/052401/news_pf/State/Big_fish_get_a_giant_.shtml Aug 16 06, 6:06 PM

zbeckabee

"But by far the greatest source we have about our fishy friend is from the Oxford English Dictionary, which quotes from a book published in 1697, entitled 'A New Voyage Round the World,' by the famed explorer, William Dampier. In the book, Dampier logs his expedition to Jamaica, where he encounters Jews (who are an extreme minority, as they are in most other nations), who favor a certain type of fish - the jewfish - which they consider to be the grandest kosher fish. Kosher, because it has both fins and scales, and the grandest, because it is by far the largest kosher fish around, as it is in Florida's Keys (second to only the shark, when including all fishes). The quote from the OED is: "The Jew-fish is a very good Fish, and I judge so called by the English, because it hath Scales and Fins, therefore a clean Fish, according to the Levitical Law." http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=63185 Aug 16 06, 6:36 PM

Arpeggionist

So that means the name comes from just the opposite of anti-semitic origins. Aug 17 06, 2:15 AM

zbeckabee

Yes, at least according to the link I posted as it goes on to say: "If this last bit of facts is the true origin of the jewfish's identity, then the name change has been totally baseless… just meant to appease a small group of insecure people with way too much time on their hands!" Aug 17 06, 8:43 AM

nawlins5763

The poster referenced on scubaboard seems to have embellished the story. Dampier was on a piratical trip near Acapulco when catching some Jewfish to eat reminded him to describe the fish as follows (the full passage from Gutenberg Project): "JEW-FISH. The jew-fish is a very good fish, and I judge so called by the English because it has scales and fins, therefore a clean fish, according to the Levitical law, and the Jews at Jamaica buy them and eat them very freely. It is a very large fish, shaped much like a cod but a great deal bigger; one will weigh three, or four, or five hundredweight. It has a large head, with great fins and scales, as big as an half-crown, answerable to the bigness of his body. It is very sweet meat, and commonly fat. This fish lives among the rocks; there are plenty of them in the West Indies, about Jamaica and the coast of Caracas; but chiefly in these seas, especially more westward." So it wasn't necessarily named by Jews but they did like the fish. The notion that it was a trash fish at one time is ridiculous as all reports from 17th century on praise it as excellent eating. Dampier was an interesting character and was known for his clear writing and keen observation. Apr 22 08, 11:42 AM

Create a Free FunTrivia ID to add to, request more/new answers, or edit this entry

Did the the hairstyle known as the 'mullet' get its name by resembling the fish of the same name, or by another origin? What is the name of a fish that shares part of its name with an ingredient in hush puppies? How did Singapore get its name? How did the Bazooka get its name?

1 Where Did The Band Get Its Name? How did these bands get their names? Bands from the 60s through the 90s are included. Band Names Tough 15 Q crisw Apr 25 00 2607 plays 2 Where did that band get that name? There are some rumors about how bands got their names. Let's set the record straight Band Names Difficult 10 Q shanteyman Jan 22 08 1281 plays 3 Where Did That Band Get That Name? Part II Some interesting trivia about names of various bands. Band Names Tough 10 Q shanteyman Aug 05 09 348 plays