[SierraWasp]

I still have questions about the FReeper usage of "cheese" and other mysterious lexicon, if anyone cares to illucidate.

[Lorenb420]

SPAM == "Shoulder Pork and hAM" or "SPiced hAM"

Origin of the term "spam" to mean net abuse

[Arkinsaw]

SPAM is not really an acronym. It comes from a Monty Python skit where they all sing SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM...over and over and over again.

Cheese - allegedly comes from "would you like some cheese with that whine".

Moose - Animal that may bite your female relatives.

Shower - Someone posted a terrorist alert and asked to be updated because they were in the shower, or something like that.

Are you logged in - Somebody posted the question "How do I log in?". Of course you must be logged in to post in the first place.....

Host around the sun - forget it, don't ask

I am probably wrong on most of these.

[ArcLight]

Spam, as a description of unwanted e-mail, is not an acronym. The term was inspired by the Monty Python comedy troupe, which did a bizarre, hilarious sketch about a restaurant where every dish contains the canned meat Spam. For some reason, a band of Vikings is sitting in this modern-day restaurant, and at odd moments they begin to sing, "Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam!"

Now why someone thought of this when coining a nickname for junk e=mail, I don't know. Probably something to do with the idea that there's no getting away from it, and it's constantly being foisted on you by guys wearing horned helmets. Either way, the nickname stuck. People who've never seen the Monty Python routine now use the word while cursing their overstuffed e-mail boxes.

[MarkL]

I'm not sure about the canned meat, but the term for the neverending flow of unwanted email came from the Monty Python "Spam" sketch... At a restaurant, a man asks, "what's on the breakfast menu," and is answered with (paraphrased) "Spam and Eggs... Spam, bacon, eggs, and spam... Spam, Spam, eggs, and Spam... Spam, Spam, Spam, and Spam..." at which vikings begin singing the "Spam Song!"

Mark

[Tokhtamish]

Of course it is.

There is a Monty Python sketch about someone going into a restaurant to order breakfast. No matter what he orders, part of the order is "Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam...". He argues that he doesn't like Spam. The waitress tries to placate him by offering him "Spam, spam, and spam. That's only got a little Spam in it."

Early geek culture revolved around things like Monty Python, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings. Spam became a metaphor for getting a lot of something you don't want and never asked for.

[dionyza]

Spam- short for "Spiced Ham"

And the unwanted email which you find in your Inbox on occasion is related to the product, "Spam", immortalized in the Monty Python skit, in which the featured diner features Spam as a primary ingredient.

[Brett66]

[Dan Day]

The most common explanation for the original Hormel name "Spam" is that it's a contraction of "Spiced Ham", although there is some dispute about whether this explanation comes straight from "the source" or not. (Spam is made from a combination of ham and pork shoulder.)

In any case, it's clear the name was purposely a rhyme of "ham" in order to be more appealing, whether or not the "SP" part of the name means anything.

As for the "internet spam", that comes from the Monty Python skit where a man goes into a restaurant and finds that every damned item on the menu has (Hormel's) Spam in it. While reading the menu, the word "Spam" comes up pretty much every other word -- much like wading through your incoming email and finding the unsolicited mail outnumbering the "real" mail. Also in the skit the patrons keep singing a song that goes, "Spam, Spam, Spam... Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam...", which also mimics the feel of an unending stream of unsolicited email arriving in your inbox.

[Revolting cat!]

SPAM is considered a delicacy in South Korea, sorta like caviar in this country. No, sorta like Big Mac in this country!

[IronJack]

Spiced Ham.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

[dano1]

-1937 : SPAM is created at Hormel's home in Austin, MN. It was originally called HORMEL Spiced Ham, until an enterprising young person dreamed up the name SPAM by combining the "SP" from Spiced with the "AM" from Ham. They won $100 for their idea. (source: http://www.holmen.k12.wi.us/drkulas/wsWinter2001/web2q/history.html)

[Cicero]

The Spam Sketch
 
As featured in the Flying Circus TV Show - Episode 25
 

About the sketch:

This sketch Not only appeared in the Flying Circus TV Show - Episode 25, it was also performed on their albums, 'Another Monty Python Record', 'Monty Python's The Final Ripoff', and 'Lust for Glory'.

The cast:

MAN

Eric Idle

WIFE

Graham Chapman

WAITRESS

Terry Jones

The sketch:

Scene: A cafe. One table is occupied by a group of Vikings with horned helmets on. A man and his wife enter.

Man: You sit here, dear.

Wife: All right.

Man: (to Waitress) Morning!

Waitress: Morning!

Man: Well, what've you got?

Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;

Vikings: (starting to chant) Spam spam spam spam...

Waitress: ...spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam...

Vikings: (singing) Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!

Waitress: ...or Lobster Thermidor au Crevettes with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.

Wife: Have you got anything without spam?

Waitress: Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.

Wife: I don't want ANY spam!

Man: Why can't she have egg bacon spam and sausage?

Wife: THAT'S got spam in it!

Man: Hasn't got as much spam in it as spam egg sausage and spam, has it?

Vikings: Spam spam spam spam (crescendo through next few lines)

Wife: Could you do the egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam then?

Waitress: Urgghh!

Wife: What do you mean 'Urgghh'? I don't like spam!

Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!

Waitress: Shut up!

Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!

Waitress: Shut up! (Vikings stop) Bloody Vikings! You can't have egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam.

Wife: (shrieks) I don't like spam!

Man: Sshh, dear, don't cause a fuss. I'll have your spam. I love it. I'm having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam beaked beans spam spam spam and spam!

Vikings: (singing) Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!

Waitress: Shut up!! Baked beans are off.

Man: Well could I have her spam instead of the baked beans then?

Waitress: You mean spam spam spam spam spam spam... (but it is too late and the Vikings drown her words)

Vikings: (singing elaborately) Spam, spam, spam, spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spaaam! Lovely spam! Wonderful spam. Spa-a-a-a-a-a-a-am! Spa-a-a-a-a-a-a-am! Spa-a-a-a-a-a-a-am! Spa-a-a-a-a-a-a-am! Lovely spam! (Lovely spam!) Lovely spam! (Lovely spam!) Lovely spaaam! Spam, spam, spam, spaaaaam!

[Slicksadick]

http://spam.com/
From spam site time line, contest in 1937 awarded 100$ to the person who combined sp from spice with am from ham.

[Constitution Day]

*

[Fzob]

http://www.ironworks.com/comedy/python/spam.wav

[sweetliberty]

Stuff Posing As Meat

[tubebender]

You need to check Spam.com (but don't blame it on me)

[sweetliberty]

"I still have questions about the FReeper usage of "cheese" and other mysterious lexicon"

[patton]

I guess you got your answer - SPiced hAM, AKA Specially Processed Army Meat, from WWII.

It was, in fact, _the_ staple of WWII for much of the world, and hence the Hawaian fascination with it.

I'll tell you what is gross, though - sitting in a foxhole in 1981, and noticing that the "use-by" date on one's half-eaten lunch is 1946.