Tabby cat is also comparable to the Spanish word "ataviar", which means "to decorate or to dress or wear" and often implies luxurious clothing. Usage of the term "tabby cat ," which means "one with a striped coat", began in the 1690s and was later shortened to "tabby" in 1774. The notion that tabby is indicative of a female cat may be a reference to the feminine proper name Tabby, as a shortened form of Tabitha. There are four tabby patterns that have been shown to be genetically distinct: Mackerel, Classic, Spotted, and Ticked. A fifth includes tabby as part of another
Mackerel as food spoilage was common, leading the authors of "The Cambridge Economic History of Europe" to remark: "There are more references to stinking mackerel in English literature than to any other fish!" In France mackerel was traditionally pickled with large amounts of salt, which allowed it to be sold widely across the country. In Japan mackerel is commonly cured with salt and vinegar to make a type of sushi known as saba-zushi. Historically saba-zushi originated in Kyoto as a solution for transporting mackerel to the inland city, which otherwise would not have made the journey from the coast still fresh. The road