Vegemite

• vegemite

Named as a result of an Australian national competition. The name was chosen in part for its similarity to Marmite.

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈve.d͡ʒi.mɑɪt/
• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɛ.d͡ʒɪ.maɪt/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Vegemite

1. (Australia, New Zealand) An Australian food paste made from brewers' yeast.
   • 1980, Colin Hay, Ron Strykert (lyrics and music), “Down Under”, performed by Men at Work:

     I said, "Do you speak-a my language?" / And he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich

   • 1998, Desiree Webber, Travel the Globe: Multicultural Story Times‎, page 5:

     This story introduces the reader to Australian food. A baby possum named Hush eats many kinds of food to become visible again after Grandma Poss uses magic to make him invisible. He even eats a vegemite sandwich.

   • 2007, Jeanne Jacob, Michael Ashkenazi, The World Cookbook for Students: Afghanistan to Cook Islands, page 48:

     Breakfast tends to be substantial, with eggs, steak or sausages, toast, sometimes baked beans or chips; Vegemite (a vegetable-based salty spread) on toast.

   • 2007, Ron Davidson, Fremantle Impressions, Fremantle Press, page 60:

     Nunzio improves his prospects with members of the dominant team by swapping his salami or crayfish sandwiches for ‘more normal′ Australian Vegemite delights.

   • 2008, Robert Crawford, But Wait, There′s More...: A History of Australian Advertising, 1900-2000, Melbourne: University Press, page 258:

     Such advertising campaigns have done more than merely sell Vegemite, Mortein or cricket; they have played an important role in reflecting and defining Australian national identity.

• as Australian as Vegemite — a common simile describing something that is indisputably mainstream Australian
• cheesymite scroll
• happy little vegemite