mugwump
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- noun A person who acts independently or remains neutral, especially in politics.
- noun A Republican who bolted the party in 1884, refusing to support presidential candidate James G. Blaine.
Examples
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He said, "I am a mugwump and a mugwump is pure from the marrow out."
The Atlantic | July/August 2001 | Mark Twain's Reconstruction | Blount Jr.
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A mugwump is a person educated beyond his intellect.
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Mark Twain had been a "mugwump" during the Blame-Cleveland campaign in 1880, which means that he had supported the independent Democratic candidate, Grover Cleveland.
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My grandmother, God rest her soul, said a "mugwump" was someone who sat on a fence with their mug on one side and their wump on the other.
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I took the best mugwump stand: my own conscience, my own judgment, were to decide in all things.
Note
The word 'mugwump' comes from an Algonquian term, probably Massachusett 'mugquomp' (important (male) person).
