Skip to main content

Word of the Day – Mugwump

By September 11, 2025Word of the Day

Mugwump (noun)

mug-wump

A person who is unable to make up their mind on an issue, especially in politics; a person who is neutral on a controversial issue.

First recorded in 1830–35, artificial 19th-century revival of Massachusett ( English spelling) mugquomp, syncopated form of muggumquomp “war leader” (equivalent to Proto-Algonquian (unattested) memekw- perhaps “swift” + (unattested) “man”)

Example sentences

“He’s just a big mouthed mugwump, he makes a lot of noise but it has no actual substance for one side or the other.”

Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List 2026

| Discussion and Recommendations | No Comments
Every year, former U.S. President Barack O’Bama shares his reading and music recommendations. 2026’s summer reading list features a range of titles in fiction and non-fiction exploring relationships, life, the…

Raymond Briggs personal library goes on sale for charity

| News | No Comments
A collection of books from the personal library of Raymond Briggs, the English author and illustrator best known for creating The Snowman, has gone on sale at a charity shop…

Are AI Companies Really Buying and Destroying Books?

| News | No Comments
For many readers, it sounds like the plot of a dystopian novel. Artificial intelligence companies are buying books by the million, cutting the bindings off, scanning every page, and then…

‘All communities should have a bookshop’: Matt Haig to open new bookstore

| Authors, Bookshops, News | No Comments
Author Matt Haig is set to open a new bookshop in Brighton. The writer, best known for his bestselling books including Reasons to Stay Alive, The Midnight Library, and How…

Six Recommended Reads: Greek mythology

| Discussion and Recommendations | No Comments
Greek myths with their myriad of gods, goddess and mystical creatures have long intrigued, captured and inspired people around the world. With Homer’s Odyssey about to hit the big screens…

Word of the Day – Serendipitous

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Serendipitous (noun) se-ren-dip-i-tus

Word of the Day – Flummox

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Flummox (verb) flum-uks

Word of the Day – Putrefaction

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Putrefaction (noun) pew-tre-fak-shun

Word of the Day – Roister

| Word of the Day | No Comments
Word of the Day - Roister (verb) roy-ster