inputlookup format to insert wildcard * is it possible?

[r999]

inputlookup like:

user       mailbox
smithj     john smith
bloggsj    joe bloggs

search string:

| inputlookup usermailbox.csv | fields search user mailbox | format "(" "(" "AND" ")" "OR" ")"]

returns

( ( user="smithj" AND mailbox="john smith" ) OR ( user="bloggsj" AND mailbox="joe bloggs") OR...

what i want is to return

( ( user="*smithj*" AND mailbox="*john smith*" ) OR ( user="*bloggsj*" AND mailbox="*joe bloggs*") OR...

Current workaround is to put the wildcards * in the csv values like so but this is a pain

user       mailbox
*smithj*   *john smith*
*bloggsj*  *joe bloggs*

[Drainy]

You could use eval to add them in manually at search time;

| eval user="*".user."*"

[the_wolverine]

No, unfortunately that doesn't work.