Wordie: Mugwump: Comments

Comment by chained_bear, 2 months ago

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:50:55 +0000

Hmm... also a verb, according to OED. Usages:
1889 N.Y. Tribune 10 Mar., They mugwumped in 1884. 1911 Springfield (Mass.) Weekly Republican 2 Nov. 3 The Bay State voters do not mugwump very deep. 1958 Time 3 Mar. 12 Brossard mugwumped, but the other five members all said no. 1997 New Republic (Electronic ed.) 31 Mar., ‘I'd say they mugwumped—you know, mug on one side of the fence, wump on the other,’ says Dave Purchase.

Comment by qroqqa, 2 months ago

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:34:19 +0000

Now antedated to 1828 in the Middlebury newspaper the Vermont American:

Before the adoption of any project among the fraternity, a nod of assent was required from the rods of the whole, which was usually not wanting, provided that of the leader, (or Mugwump, as he was technically called,) appeared favorable.

Comment by Milosrdenstvi, 2 months ago

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:16:02 +0000

I had thought the etymology was because the Republicans crossing party lines to vote for Grover Cleveland had their "mugs" on one side of the fence, and their "wumps" on the other.

Comment by dgstone, 7 months ago

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:17:32 +0000

I get words stuck in my head like songs get stuck in others' heads. Mugwump is one of these words because its just so gosh darn fun to say. I picked it up from the Harry Potter books, but I had no idea it was an actual word until recently.

Comment by reesetee, 9 months ago

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:18:28 +0000

I always got a kick out of it myself. Interesting etymology, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary: "1832, jocular for 'great man, boss,' Amer. Eng., from Algonquian (Natick) mugquomp 'important person,' used since 1884 of Republicans who refused to support James G. Blaine's presidential candidacy, hence 'one who holds himself aloof from party politics.'"

Sarcasm at its finest. :-)

Comment by chained_bear, 9 months ago

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:03:56 +0000

Thanks WeirdNet. Also... a really ugly word.