| majordomo: A butler or a steward; also a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. It comes from the Latin where it means "chief of the house". mandarin: A person of position and influence; often traditionalist and reactionary, in literary and intellectual circles. In Imperial China, the mandarin class wielded great power throughout the government. Students aspiring to join had to follow a rigorous course of study and pass examinations to qualify. Interestingly, the term is not Chinese but has a global origin, from Portuguese by way of Malay and Sanskrit words meaning "counsel". Manichaean or Manichean: A dualistic viewpoint which sees things as black or white, good or bad, and caught in a struggle between absolutes. It comes from a religion founded in the 3rd century A.D. in Persia by a prophet named Manes who saw the universe governed by a struggle between Good and Evil. Martinet: A stickler for discipline. The Marquis de Martinet was a commander under King Louis XIV of France and strict and demanding taskmaster. King Louis required that a young nobleman must learn to command a platoon in Martinet's regiment before he could take command of his own regiment. Martinet's system for training willful and privileged young aristocrats made his name synonymous with discipline. Maverick: An unbranded range animal, especially a motherless calf. Also, an independent person who does not go along with a group or party. From Samuel August Maverick (1803-1870), a Texas cattleman who did not brand the calves in his cattle herd and allowed them to roam. The term was then applied to any unbranded steer who strayed from the herd, and then transferred to independent and individualistic people. It is often applied to politicians who avoid affiliating themselves with a particular party. millstone, to carry around one's neck: A heavy burden which weighs one down. A millstone is one of a pair of large, circular stones used in a mill to grind grain. In old-fashioned mills, the upper stone is turned by a shaft and grinds the grain against the lower, or nether stone, which is chosen for its hardness. |
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