mundungus

[prettygoodword]

mundungus (muhn-DUHNG-guhs) - n., a cheap, unpleasant-smelling tobacco.


I first met this in the Aubrey-Maturin stories of Patrick O'Brian, but have seen it elsewhere since. First attested in 1641, from Spanish mondongo, tripe/entrails, a meaning that has also been adopted (according to some dictionaries) as a secondary sense. The origin of the Spanish word is unknown, fwiw.

(I suppose this could have run in place of pratie to round out the week of plants.)

---L.

Comments

[calzephyr]

LOL this tobacco sounds like it smells :-D

[full_metal_ox]

Also the name of an unsavory character (who may have been nicknamed for his taste in said tobacco and resultant aroma?) in the British Wizard Franchise.

prettygoodword:

The origin of the Spanish word is unknown, fwiw.

Maybe there’s some etymological connection to the famous Mexican tripe-and-corn stew menudo (not to be confused with the Latin boy band where Ricky Martin got his start)?

[calzephyr]

Oh, I read that series but don't recall the character!

[conuly]

He's one of the many, many bit characters. Theoretically a member of the OotP, but he made up for their low wages with petty theft, which started this entire ridiculous and pointless sidequest to get the locket.

[calzephyr]

Thanks :-)

[full_metal_ox]

Comes to that, I recall a slash fic for the aforementioned series that involved the incantation “Men Nudo!”

Fitting, since I recall its having been a load of corny tripe.

[calzephyr]

LOL!

[prettygoodword]

Menudo is from Latin minūtus, small/little -- suggestions for mundungus include bandrullo, tripe, from Latin ventriculus, belly, and a tentative Arabic origin.

[full_metal_ox]

Thank you for the etymology!