Sandwiches have become increasingly elaborate creations: pillows of golden focaccia dripping with sumptuous pulled meats, tahini dressings, and spice-crusted roast veg. And yet, back in the day, you were lucky if you got a smear of margarine on yesterday’s white bread with a hunk of pink, pockmarked SPAM slammed unceremoniously in between. Ah yes, SPAM, there’s a reason why it became the butt of a Monty Python sketch and is now most commonly associated with the most annoying type of email correspondence. It’s unsexy, ultimately unhealthy and, at one point, was utterly unavoidable. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter However, as we’ve established, food standards have somewhat evolved since WWII rationing so SPAM doesn’t get as much of a look-in at lunchtime these days. Still, most of us have at least heard of it even if we’ve never actually tried it. Monty Python - Spam youtu.be But now, people have suddenly realised that they don’t actually know what the acronym of its name stands for. Plenty of people have their own theories, though, which they’ve publicly shared on Twitter. “What does SPAM stand for? Salty Piece A' Meat?” one asked. “I often conjectured that 'Spam' was an acronym for 'Spoiled Ham',” wrote another. Another nodded to an old joke made by retired stand-up comedian Bill Endgvall: “I finally figured out what spam stands for – stuff posing as meat.” While another suggested it actually connotes “scientifically processed animal matter”. To clarify, SPAM itself is processed meat made of a pork and ham mixture, salt, sugar, potato starch, water, and sodium nitrite. The meat is ground and combined with the other ingredients before it is transferred to its signature rectangular can, vacuum-sealed, and cooked inside, the Encyclopedia Britannica notes. And despite the plethora of alternative suggestions, the name is, in fact, a portmanteau for spiced ham. It was coined in 1937 by its creator, New York actor Ken Daigneau, whose brother was an executive at the manufacturer Hormel Foods. According to Britannica, Daigneau later confessed that he’d come up with the name before he’d even conceived of the product, thinking it was memorable. Well, he sure hit the money on that one. SPAM continues to be loved by millions of households across the world, with more than 10 varieties of meat available on the market. Indeed, in Hawaii where it is perhaps best loved by consumers, it is enjoyed in a number of unique ways, including as an alternative to raw fish or egg in a sushi-style dish called musubi. And sure, we love our kimchi cauliflower milk rolls and slow-cooked lamb flatbreads but, credit where it’s due, SPAM has proven that it's the truly simple things that often stand the test of time. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

SAVE 25%: A one-year subscription to Proton Mail Plus is on sale for £41.26, saving

The former couple set a good example of successful co-parenting as they reunited in Los Angeles to drop their kids off at school

If you’ve been doing any work from home for the past few years and you

President Joe Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday in a show of solidarity for the US ally

Anthony Knight allegedly left the dog to die in a cage without ventilation or water

UPDATE: May. 13, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EDT This post has been updated with the latest

On Oct. 4, at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cellular devices, televisions, and radio systems will

By Jessica DiNapoli NEW YORK Makers of brand-name household basics like Dunkin' coffee and Schick razors are bulking

Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez hasn’t spoken with her mother for almost two years. After years of unresolved conflicts about money, entitlement, and boundaries, Gonzalez decided to go no-contact. The last straw: an incident where her mother attempted to physically assault her. Despite receiving pressure to rekindle her relationship with her mom from the family members Gonzalez is still in contact with, she believes severing ties has given her the peace and freedom to grow in her personal and professional lives.

For decades, a giant, inflatable rat with beady eyes, sharp teeth and a pustule-covered belly has been looming over union protests, drawing attention to construction sites or buildings with labor disputes

Elena Ruelas prepares a syringe of heroin, a drug that she has been using for 20 years. These days, however, it is almost certainly...