[Sailor Steve]

"Chili con carne" is simply Spanish for "chili with meat". Nothing more, nothing less. Chili was originally a cheap stew made with tomatoes and various other vegetables, especially chili peppers. Beans were easy to come by and made for a thicker texture, so it was more than just vegetable soup. Meat was sometimes scarce, so the addition of meat for poor Mexican peasants was a luxury worthy of mentioning, hence "con carne". These days meat is much more readily available and having it is pretty much expected. Most fans feel it isn't proper chili without meat, so it's all just called "chili".