mugwump?

[Tyler Hewitt]

No: HPFGUIDX 49564

Dan wrote:

> I was just reading up on my American History when I
> noticed something that likely hasn't been brought
> up. If it has, *whoops.* 
> 
> In 1884, the Republican presidential candidate James
> Blaine was linked to a corrupt deal. Some
> Republicans ditched their party for the Democrats
> because they were so put off by Blaine's lack of
> honesty.
> 
> Anyways, those Republican/Democrat converts were
> called "Mugwumps," meaning "Holier-Than-Thou." Odd
> how Dumbledore, in SS is credited with being the
> Supreme Mugwump...



I think 'mugwump' is one of those words with multiple
meanings. I've heard it used many different ways over
the years, but most of these escape me at the moment.
The American Heritage Dictionary mentions the
definition you wrote about, and as a 2nd definition
says "anyone who acts independantly, especially in
politics". This does sound a lot like Dumbledore. I
posted a few days ago that bumblebees live
independantly and do not hive (dumbledore is old
English for bumblebee). This fits the  image of
Dumbledore as independant as well.

Far less likely is comparing Dumbledore to the
mugwumps in William Burroughs' 'Naked Lunch'. Mugwumps
in that book are lizard-like humans born without
kidneys. They spend their lives in bars drinking
glasses of honey. There's not really a polite way of
putting this, but their semen is extremely addictive,
so while they are drinking honey in bars, people
(mostly men) are basically lining up to perform oral
sex on them. They also pay the mugwumps for this. The
mugwumps in Naked Lunch ARE pretty solitary types, as
I recall. 

Tyler


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