Spam
Noun · Verb · Slang & Abbreviations · Origin: 1978
Definitions
Unsolicited bulk messages, especially email. Named after the Monty Python sketch where the word 'Spam' drowns out all other conversation — which is exactly what junk email does to your inbox. The first known spam was sent on ARPANET in 1978.
In plain English: Unwanted junk messages — usually email trying to sell you something or trick you — named after a comedy sketch about the canned meat product.
Etymology
- 1970
- Monty Python's 'Spam' sketch airs, featuring the word repeated ad nauseam
- 1978
- Gary Thuerk sends the first spam email on ARPANET advertising DEC computers
- 1990s
- Email spam becomes a global problem; the term becomes universal
Origin Story
How a Monty Python sketch conquered your inbox
In 1970, Monty Python's Flying Circus aired a sketch set in a greasy-spoon cafe where every item on the menu came with **Spam** (the canned meat). A group of Vikings drowned out all conversation by chanting "Spam, Spam, Spam!" louder and louder, making normal communication impossible.
In the early 1990s, Usenet users adopted the term to describe the flood of repetitive, unwanted messages that were drowning out legitimate discussion. The first major incident was in 1994, when immigration lawyers Canter & Siegel posted their Green Card ad to thousands of newsgroups simultaneously. The internet community was outraged, and "spam" became the universal word for unsolicited bulk messages.
Hormel Foods, the maker of the actual Spam product, eventually accepted the dual meaning, asking only that the meat be spelled in ALL CAPS (SPAM) while the internet nuisance stays lowercase.
Coined by: Usenet community (via Monty Python)
Context: Usenet newsgroups, early 1990s
Fun fact: Hormel produces about 44,000 cans of SPAM per hour. The company has stated they don't object to the internet usage of the word, viewing it as free publicity.