Spam Funny Man Made Out of Spam

SEMANTIC ENIGMAS

Why is Spam (that revolting tinned luncheon meat) called Spam? It sounds like it has something to do with ham, but why the sp-?

Carmen Lichi, London

It's a contraction of spiced ham. The next question is why is unsolicited email called spam.
DP Morgan, Amsterdam NL

Apparantly it is something to do with American war time cutbacks and SPiced hAM. I believe the name was coined in a competition at the factory which made it - out of what we do not know.
Sean, Perth Australia

It stands for 'spiced ham' and was a name suggested in a competition launched by the Geo. A. Hormel Company in 1937, to find a name for their new product, which they described as 'The Miracle Meat', and marketed as a health food.
Richard Thompson, Allerod Denmark

Hormel Foods, the makers of SPAM (note the capitalisation) jealously guard their trademark. According to their own website, it was invented in 1937, and is a contracton of Hormel Spiced Ham, and was the result of a contest with a grand prize of $100. Let's just overlook the fact that, by any reasonable standard, it's not exactly spicy, is it?
David Murray, Cambridge, UK

I have it on good authority (from a chef who works for the BBC) that Spam is in fact an acronym for Special(ly?) Processed Animal Meat - appetising!
Leona, Stockwell, UK

To answer DP Morgan's question about why unsolicited e-mail is called Spam. Before the internet became commercialised and unsolicited commercial e-mail was sent the name spam was given to sending the same mail several times for no good reason. This was because of the Monty Python 'spam,spam,spam' sketch.
Stuart, London

As to why unsolicited email is called spam, its because its ubiquity is reminiscent of the meat mentioned in Monty Python's "Spam Song"
Gareth Owen, Knutton Staffs

Spiced ham, as everyone's pointed out. As for DP Morgan's question about email-type spam, that derives from the Monty Python spam spam and spam sketch (early computer nerds being great Python fans), presumably because when you look for nourishing emails in your in-basket, all you find is spam.
John, Wellington New Zealand

I had a look at a tin of Spam in my local supermarket last night and it had "Spiced Ham" written in small letters under the word "Spam". Did the original questioner ever think about looking at the label on the stuff?
Justin Rigden, Adelaide Australia

Who should know better than the manufacturer Hormel Foods, the makers of SPAM? According to their website, it was invented in 1937. That should settle the question. But I happened on to the the reality show from the UK about the war-time 40's House. They mentioned that SPAM stands for "Specially Processed American Meat". To the residents of the UK during the war, I reckon that's what SPAM meant to them, which is a very accurate description, and there's nothing wrong with that. The letters S.P.A.M. lend themselves to several amusing phrases. I'll like to also mention that there is not much of the pig (or cow) that's wasted. Ground meat products like sausage, potted meats, and SPAM are usually made of the less appetizing (by themselves) morsels of flesh. But after grinding and the addition of spices, they become quite tasty. Such products as SPAM were of great benefit during situations where there is a shortage of protein and fats, which are the most important nutrients in the short term for survival. I recall, while in the military, eating similar chopped-ham products in the form of C-rations and MRE's. A lot of nutrition in a small space.
John Reynolds, Del City, Oklahoma, USA

i always thought that spam was introduced to the uk during ww2 aand stood for specially processed american meat
ianmitchell, callander scotland

I know the meaning of SPAM (Specially Pressed American Meat). Hate to say it but it took a 'Devonshire dumpling' to give you the answer. It was made for the war.
Phil Edwards, Exeter, UK

During the second world war, meat was hard to transport to Britain in the usual fashion and had to take a longer route, but the German u-boats were destroying them. The meat was processed and canned and called "Specially Pressed American Meat". It lasted longer at sea and no need to refrigerate or salt.
Bob Muir, Mount Isa Australia

Being a Yank, I found your answers amusing but SPAM is spiced ham first of all, and it kept much of the world (including Brits and Russians) from starving in world war two. It isn't revolting if cooked properly, and might I suggest that something like Vegemite is revolting, like a quasi-vegetable by-product paste that you smear on your toast for breakfast. Sounds good, doesn't it?
Richard, Sandy Hook, US

{in true Monty Python fashion} Spam is actually Bruce! (now look that one up) Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce...
Thomas Dalimonte, Nashua, US

Taken from the manufacturers of SPAM web page. What does the SPAM® brand name mean? There are some questions that continually plague man over time. Questions like 'Is there intelligent life beyond Earth?' And 'What is the meaning of the SPAM® brand name?' Unfortunately, we can provide answers to neither. The significance of the SPAM® brand name has long been a subject of speculation. One popular belief says it's derived from the words 'spiced ham.' Others suggest it's an acronym for 'shoulders of pork and ham.' The real answer is known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives. And probably Nostradamus. So all these invented aconyms are just guesses because no one, other than the man who invented the name, ken daigneau, really knows if it means anything at all.
Ian Mayor, Manchester England

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-18611,00.html

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