Featured Image Credit: SEAN GLADWELL / Thx4Stock / Getty
Spam is something we've all encountered, whether it’s tech support or phishing emails.
But have you ever stopped to think what the word 'spam' actually means and where the word comes from?
According to Merriam-Webster, spam is defined as 'unsolicited, usually commercial messages sent to a large number of recipients or posted in a large number of places.'
However, we must turn our eyes to comedy if we want to find the meaning of the word spam.
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The meaning of the word spam came to describe pesky, unwanted emails through a skit of Monty Python's Flying Circus that first hit television screens in 1970.
In this sketch, two unfortunate customers are lowered into a diner, where they find that every single menu item has spam in it.
One customer protests that she doesn’t like spam before she’s drowned out by a chorus of Vikings singing: “Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam… Lovely Spam! Wonderful Spam!”
So what connection does this meat have to do with your spam folder?
Well, during and after World War II, Spam was a pretty common staple in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The canned lunch meat product first hit shelves in 1937 by the manufacturer Hormel Foods.
The processed blend of pork and ham was easy to transport and had a long shelf life, making it a reliable food source for troops.
In fact, more than 100 million pounds of Spam were consumed by Allied soldiers during the war.
After the war had ended and Britain tried to rebuild its agricultural system, people were tired of spam. It was literally everywhere!
When the internet came around - and just like the sketch suggested - the word spam became synonymous with unwanted messages that drown out any meaningful conversations and pop up everywhere.
Years on, the food Spam is still going strong. But people are only just realising the connection between the two!
"So interesting!! Imagine making such an influential skit..not that monty python isnt influential of course, but I never even knew they were connected," one user wrote.
"Great video, Simon! I've actually been wondering this for a while now," another added.
"you know, I honestly didn't know this origin - I think I've heard a backronym for it that I thought was the real origin," a YouTube user admitted.
"I really thought spam stood for Stupid Pointless Annoying Message. It stuck in my memory since middle school when I first learned of that word on an online game," added another.
