Combined OP Article List

[Koontz John E]

On Mon, 24 May 2004, Mary Marino wrote:
> Vegemite is the Australian version of Marmite - nothing to do with
> artificial meat.

Ah, yes, but marmite is an artificial or heavily processed and somewhat
dubious food product, in that respect analogous to or conceptually
resembling spam.  I couldn't remember the term marmite until I had sent
the message, but I remembered vegemite from the Men at Work song.  (M at W
were from New Zealand, I believe.) Marmite is a little rare in my neck of
the woods.

Now, since spam for me is a product of American ingenuity (not unlike
individually wrapped slices of plastic-like cheese or, for that matter,
2x4s of velveeta), I thought that perhaps the analogous marmite, which I
associate with the British, might be employed as the analogous British
term for junk email.  (I am definitely smiling or at least grimmacing as I
write this, and I do apologize for the obscure and labored analogy.)

Perhaps the analogy was weak.  I think nobody admits to liking spam, but
the British are said to take a perverse pride in marmite.  This is not
unlike the American attitude toward artificial cheese products as, for
example, a hallowed ingredient in cheeseburgers or Philly cheesesteaks and
a various dips.  There are those who consider real cheese in these dishes
to be both revolting and unnatural.

Admission:  It has been some years, but I have, in my childhood, eaten and
like both spam and a homemade concoction called scrapple.