After all that climbing, Pig must be hungry. He could go to the diner and have some Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, baked beans, Spam, Spam, Spam, and Spam.
No it doesn’t… Guess we now know the difference between a Wise A$$ and a Smart A$$. (Also love how Pastis can spell the word properly in the strip, but the website prevents it in the comments!)
Due to my advancing age and apparently deteriorating health, any food stuff that has any shape, appearance, texture, flavor, aroma, or any appealing trait as a foodstuff in any way whatsoever – I can’t have it anymore. :>(
Hormel states that the meaning of the name “is known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives,” but a popular belief is that the name is a contraction of “spiced ham.” It has also been speculated to be an acronym for “Shoulder of Pork And Ham.”
A long time ago I read an article on the origin of SPAM. According to it Hormel came up with the idea when they had great success with canned ham, but needed something to do with the rest of the pig and in particular the shoulder. What they did was grind it up, add a little bit of spice (mostly salt it seems), cook it in a can and call it Spam. So the Shoulder of Pork was masquerading as Ham. Wish I could find the article, but I do remember investigating it enough to decide it appeared to be legitimate.
I’ve eaten Spam once in my life, sometime in the last couple of years. I was curious about all the fuss over it, and wondered what this All-American “ham” was all about (that’s in quotes because I’m not sure it actually qualifies as ham).
I like ham. There are a variety of good deli hams out there, and sometimes my wife and I buy a “ham steak” in the meat section of our supermarket, and I broil it for dinner. As for Spam, it was tolerable, but overall it was a bland, low quality ham. So I tried it in order to find out what I was missing, and the answer to that was “nothing.”
BE THIS GUY over 1 year ago
I guess salt is considered a spice a Minnesota.
ronaldspence over 1 year ago
Don’t say Spam in front of a pig WA!
BasilBruce over 1 year ago
After all that climbing, Pig must be hungry. He could go to the diner and have some Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, baked beans, Spam, Spam, Spam, and Spam.
retrocool over 1 year ago
always look on the bright side of life
sirbadger over 1 year ago
One of my relatives told me about something else they ate during World War II that was similar to Spam. I don’t remember the name of it.
B UTTONS over 1 year ago
Go forth and spread the SPAM, just remember it is illegal to spam.
blunebottle over 1 year ago
Rather misleading that they call it spiced ham. There’s no spice at all, just pork, ham, salt, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite.
Bilan over 1 year ago
I had originally heard that it stands for Shoulder Pork and hAM.
Which is right?
Imagine over 1 year ago
In that case, I will stop deleting it from my computer.
rshive over 1 year ago
Great answers first require great questions.
iggyman over 1 year ago
Canned cooked pork the internet says! I used to love it, but too salty for me now!
Marc Schiffres over 1 year ago
Not since they tried to rebrand it a few years ago…
Doug K over 1 year ago
Spam could be Pig’s stage name.
Walrus Gumbo Premium Member over 1 year ago
I hate the stuff, I consider it… Sh!t Passing As Meat.
raebrek over 1 year ago
SPAM stands for Shoulder Pork and Ham.
Charles over 1 year ago
Salt Pork and hAM.
Count Olaf Premium Member over 1 year ago
Now Pig can take over the internet with annoying unwanted advertisements.
JRobinson Premium Member over 1 year ago
No it doesn’t… Guess we now know the difference between a Wise A$$ and a Smart A$$. (Also love how Pastis can spell the word properly in the strip, but the website prevents it in the comments!)
bookworm0812 over 1 year ago
Pretty close to the truth in the fall. Spam puts out pumpkin spiced fake meat. That’s disgusting.
unfair.de over 1 year ago
When you’re sitting all day in the clean air of a hill and suddenly some meaty pig post-exercise stands upwind from you spiced ham comes natural.
phritzg Premium Member over 1 year ago
I’ve been told that SPAM stands for Squirrels Possum And Mice.
Ellis97 over 1 year ago
What kind of contraction is that?
Goat from PBS over 1 year ago
I did not know that before. Wow.
Ichabod Ferguson over 1 year ago
SPAM: Squirrels, Possums, And Mice
Lotus over 1 year ago
Baked beans are off.
Comics are the first thing to read over 1 year ago
I’d ask what scrapple stands for.
Packratjohn Premium Member over 1 year ago
Try this instead; “Self-Propagating Auto-Mailer”
GATORx81 over 1 year ago
It used to…now it’s “Sizzle, Pork, And Mmm,” according to the ad.
HOTLOTUS1 over 1 year ago
salt is a preservative
david_42 over 1 year ago
More like the wisdom of the eggs.
Zebrastripes over 1 year ago
Pig is empowered….he’s so special!
Rotary12 Premium Member over 1 year ago
Speaking of Spam, when are you coming to Minnesota again?
poppacapsmokeblower over 1 year ago
While true, this doesn’t account for Turkey Spam, which should be called, “Spurkey.”
ladykat over 1 year ago
On a personal note, I find Spam disgusting.
James Gifford Premium Member over 1 year ago
Spiced Ham and Shoulder Meat, actually…
Bookworm over 1 year ago
Due to my advancing age and apparently deteriorating health, any food stuff that has any shape, appearance, texture, flavor, aroma, or any appealing trait as a foodstuff in any way whatsoever – I can’t have it anymore. :>(
bchellam Premium Member over 1 year ago
Actually, I once read that SPAM is an Army abbreviation for “Shoulder of Pork and Ham.”
Cerabooge over 1 year ago
A pig’s version of “Soylent Green is people”.
Flossie Mud Duck over 1 year ago
I’ve always considered Spam, along with Velveeta cheese, to be non-food products.
CaveCat87 over 1 year ago
Did he somehow knew that Pig was going to ask him about Spam?
Geezer over 1 year ago
From Wikipedia:
Hormel states that the meaning of the name “is known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives,” but a popular belief is that the name is a contraction of “spiced ham.” It has also been speculated to be an acronym for “Shoulder of Pork And Ham.”
John Jorgensen over 1 year ago
I haven’t had spam in over fifteen years but now I’m craving it. And of course I just gave up the meat of mammals for Lent.
Spiny Norman Premium Member over 1 year ago
Spam,spam,spam,spam……….Somebody had to do it.
larslarson over 1 year ago
I thought it was acronyms for Shoulder Pork Arm Meat? Spicy ham! Who’da thunk it.
T Smith over 1 year ago
When I was a kid, there was a lunch-meat called spiced ham. Ground ham, formed in a loaf, did not taste like Spam.
Radish the wordsmith over 1 year ago
Did he say, ‘Move to Hawaii?’
waes-hael over 1 year ago
Pig should’ve asked for “wisdom” not “knowledge.”
Stonedog Premium Member over 1 year ago
When I was a kid my older brother told me SPAM was “Substance Posing As Meat”
David_the_CAD over 1 year ago
Knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit.
Wisdom is not adding tomatoes to a fruit salad.
phredturner over 1 year ago
Learn something every day here
johobe Premium Member over 1 year ago
How long have you been sitting on that one. Sheer profundity.
T... over 1 year ago
Deja Vu :)…
zeexenon over 1 year ago
I was told, “Sam-I-Am Porked A Mother.” Is that wrong?
awgiedawgie Premium Member over 1 year ago
Conversely, “spork” does not stand for “spiced pork”.
Dianne50 over 1 year ago
I remember as a child Mom serving us SPAM and fried corn meal mush for breakfast. I wouldn’t eat it then and I won’t eat it now.
Curiosity Premium Member over 1 year ago
A long time ago I read an article on the origin of SPAM. According to it Hormel came up with the idea when they had great success with canned ham, but needed something to do with the rest of the pig and in particular the shoulder. What they did was grind it up, add a little bit of spice (mostly salt it seems), cook it in a can and call it Spam. So the Shoulder of Pork was masquerading as Ham. Wish I could find the article, but I do remember investigating it enough to decide it appeared to be legitimate.
Cactus-Pete over 1 year ago
It’s Shoulder of Pork and Ham, not a single spice in it.
Buoy over 1 year ago
Pig could use a little spice in his life.
stillfickled Premium Member over 1 year ago
I’ve said before- sliced thin, slice of cheese and lots of mayo between two pieces of whole grain bread.
The Orange Mailman over 1 year ago
Portmanteau or Acronym?
garibaldi.hank over 1 year ago
SPAM is an acronym: Special Processed American Meat.
goblue86 over 1 year ago
From the guys that brought you Mystery Science Theater 3000, we have Rifftrax (https://www.rifftrax.com/)/
And this gem shot at the Hormel Plant in Austin.
Enjoy (best viewed BEFORE lunch).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EagPzmaVc38
soaringblocks over 1 year ago
I ate Spam for 20 years when i lived in Hawaii and never knew this. lol
Wizard4168 over 1 year ago
Despite all the stories, “Spam” is just a made-up word. It doesn’t actually stand for anything, backronyms notwithstanding.
paullp Premium Member over 1 year ago
I’ve eaten Spam once in my life, sometime in the last couple of years. I was curious about all the fuss over it, and wondered what this All-American “ham” was all about (that’s in quotes because I’m not sure it actually qualifies as ham).
I like ham. There are a variety of good deli hams out there, and sometimes my wife and I buy a “ham steak” in the meat section of our supermarket, and I broil it for dinner. As for Spam, it was tolerable, but overall it was a bland, low quality ham. So I tried it in order to find out what I was missing, and the answer to that was “nothing.”
Sisyphos over 1 year ago
Careful, Pig lest you become the wisdom of the ages, which is to say, Spam….
DaBump Premium Member over 1 year ago
Well, when you’re a pig… Nah, it’s too easy.
Swirls Before Pine over 1 year ago
Actually, Pig holds the ingredients of Spam.