"Muggle"

[Tim Regan]

No: HPFGUIDX 61094

Hi All,

Muggle is now in the Oxford English Dictionary, at least it is in 
the online version. Here are the definitions:


1) A tail resembling that of a fish. 
 
  c1275 (?a1200) LAAMON Brut (Calig.) 29588 a tailes heom comen 
on..iscend wes at mon-cun: muggles [c1300 Otho moggles] heo hafden. 
[1759 (a1384) in W. Goodall J. de Fordun Scotichronicon I. 138 
Vocatur..cauda ab indigenis, patria lingua, Mughel.]
 
2) Prob.: a young woman; (spec.) a sweetheart. 
 
  1608 T. MIDDLETON Your Fiue Gallants sig. C4, Oh the parting of vs 
twaine, Hath causde me mickle paine, and I shall nere be married, 
Vntill I see my muggle againe. 1617 T. YOUNG Englands Bane sig. E4v, 
I haue seene a company..drinking for a muggle... Sixe haue 
determined to trie their strengths who could drinke most glasses for 
the muggle.

3) Freq. in pl.: marijuana. Also: a marijuana cigarette; a joint.
  muggle-head [cf. HEAD n.1 7e], a marijuana smoker. 
 
  1926 G. H. MAINES & B. GRANT Wise-crack Dict. 11/1 Muggle-head, 
smoker of Mexican loco weed. 1928 L. ARMSTRONG (title of gramophone 
record) Muggles. 1933 C. DE LENOIR Hundredth Man i. 10, I found 
myself on the Mexican border with a bad `yin', and nothing to 
relieve me but the native drug marijuana. In New Orleans and other 
Southern American towns this is known as `muggles', being sold in 
the form of cigarettes. 1946 M. MEZZROW Really Blues vii. 93 To us a 
muggle wasn't any more dangerous or habit-forming than..the five-
cent Coke and the ice-cream cone, only it gave you more kicks for 
the money. 1949 R. CHANDLER Little Sister xxxiv. 248 Desk clerk's a 
muggle-smoker. 1969 A. ARENT Laying on of Hands (1971) vi. 50 Offer 
our guest a muggle. 1985 S. BOOTH True Adventures Rolling Stones 
xxix. 330 Tony, let's have some muggles.
 
4)   In the fiction of J. K. Rowling: a person who possesses no 
magical powers. Hence in allusive and extended uses: a person who 
lacks a particular skill or skills, or who is regarded as inferior 
in some way. 
 
  1997 J. K. ROWLING Harry Potter & Philosopher's Stone i. 10 
Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like 
yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day! 1999 Computer 
Weekly (Nexis) 2 Sept. 2 Our new senior DBA starts on Monday. She's 
a muggle. No IT background, understanding or aptitude at all. 2000 
News Tribune (Nexis) 17 July C1 Thus fielding a team of muggles in a 
league of wizards, the Storm opened the season with four losses.
 

Cheers,


Dumbledad.