# marry the ketchup

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/marry-the-ketchup
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To combine ketchup from half-empty bottles in a restaurant, in order to reduce the number of bottles.

## Examples

- The server needs to marry the ketchup before the lunch rush.
- When the restaurant is quiet, the staff usually marry the ketchup to keep the tables tidy.
- To minimize waste and optimize storage space, the manager instructed the new employees to marry the ketchup at the end of every shift.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.