yichus

Pronounced: YEEKH-uhs, noun

Notes: I could guess at the origin, but not the meaning

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Yesterday’s word

The word mugwump is

• a Republican that did not support his party’s candidate in the 1884 election
• a person who is independent (as in politics) or who remains undecided or neutral

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

I enjoy learning about US Presidents, and the 1884 election is a fascinating one to me. To summarize, the incumbent Chester Arthur did not wish a second term, as his health was declining. The Republicans had won the Presidency ever since 1856 and nominated James Blaine, who had severed as Secretary of State. The Democrats nominated New York governor Grover Cleveland. The campaign was bitter, with accusations leveled at each candidate: James Blaine was accused of corruption, having sold his influence in Congress when he served there. Grover Cleveland was accused of having fathered a child out of wedlock. The Mugwumps were Republicans that were strongly anti-corruption and refused to support James Blaine, switching their vote to Grover Cleveland, who became the first Democrat to win the Presidency, and would remain so until the 1912 election. Grover Cleveland also won the popular vote in three elections in a row, but lost the electoral vote in the middle one, so he was the first man to have non-successive presidential terms. Our word came from mugquomp, an anglicization of the Massachusett Indian word muggumquomp (war leader).