Interesting Word
Mugwump
Very apt for this election season in the US, and highlighted in the Merriam-Webster's web site last week, mugwump signifies undecided or politically neutral person. The word is derived from the Algonquian word mugquomp meaning the big chief, the war leader (or the king maker). The word was first used to describe Republicans who refused to support their own part's nominee, James Blain, in the presidential elections of 1884 in favor of the Democratic Party's nominee, Grover Cleaveland. Cleaveland won the election with 219 electoral votes to Blain's 182 votes; thus the first mugwumps literally proved themselves to be the "king makers".
The meaning of the word later gradually shifted to mean politically neutral. In today's quicksand political alliances, however, with voter loyalty an unsure thing, the mugwumps still retain their power for the making or unmaking of leaders.
The word was immortalized in a 1930's humor postcards as "a bird who sits with its mug on one side of the fence and its wump on the other."
Other election related words:
druthers: free choice, one's own way. Alteration of "would rather"
suffrage: right to vote. From Latin suffragium (to vote)
References: Infoplease.com, Merriam-Webster, Encyclopedia Britannica, and a number of other web sites.
Very apt for this election season in the US, and highlighted in the Merriam-Webster's web site last week, mugwump signifies undecided or politically neutral person. The word is derived from the Algonquian word mugquomp meaning the big chief, the war leader (or the king maker). The word was first used to describe Republicans who refused to support their own part's nominee, James Blain, in the presidential elections of 1884 in favor of the Democratic Party's nominee, Grover Cleaveland. Cleaveland won the election with 219 electoral votes to Blain's 182 votes; thus the first mugwumps literally proved themselves to be the "king makers".
The meaning of the word later gradually shifted to mean politically neutral. In today's quicksand political alliances, however, with voter loyalty an unsure thing, the mugwumps still retain their power for the making or unmaking of leaders.
The word was immortalized in a 1930's humor postcards as "a bird who sits with its mug on one side of the fence and its wump on the other."
Other election related words:
druthers: free choice, one's own way. Alteration of "would rather"
suffrage: right to vote. From Latin suffragium (to vote)
References: Infoplease.com, Merriam-Webster, Encyclopedia Britannica, and a number of other web sites.
posted by Unknown @ 5:18 PM
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