British slang for margarine, a butter-like spread made from vegetable oils instead of dairy.
Shortened form of 'margarine,' which comes from French 'margarine' (1869), itself from Greek 'margarites' (pearl-like), because margarine's fatty appearance reminded chemists of pearls.
Margarine was invented in 1869 by a French chemist competing in a contest—butter was too expensive for poor people, so the prize was for a cheap substitute. It was such a threat to dairy farmers that some states passed laws requiring margarine to be dyed pink to warn people away from it!
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