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Why use muggle?


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I know, it's been asked before. But I was just talking to a friends son, and he asked me what Mundane meant, so looked it up and one answer was this...so why don't we call them Mundanes?

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

In subcultural and fictional uses, a mundane is a person who does not belong to a particular group, according to the members of that group; the implication is that such persons, lacking imagination, are concerned solely with the mundane:

 

Edit to add...Haha

Edited by WRITE SHOP ROBERT
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All I know is, it makes something that's already nerdy and makes it extra nerdy. I don't use it.

 

+1

 

Apparently my geocaching name is also the name of a character from the same overrated children's books the word "muggles" comes from. I am somewhat bothered by this, but I was using this name on the internet a long time before those books existed, so I'm standing my ground.

 

When someone thinks I'm an enthusiast of such books, they get the same withering glare I give to people who think my child's name is from a soap opera. <_<:rolleyes:

 

But yes, let's phase out this silly word and replace it with something less hideous.

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All I know is, it makes something that's already nerdy and makes it extra nerdy. I don't use it.

 

+1

 

Apparently my geocaching name is also the name of a character from the same overrated children's books the word "muggles" comes from. I am somewhat bothered by this, but I was using this name on the internet a long time before those books existed, so I'm standing my ground.

 

When someone thinks I'm an enthusiast of such books, they get the same withering glare I give to people who think my child's name is from a soap opera. <_<:rolleyes:

 

But yes, let's phase out this silly word and replace it with something less hideous.

I happen to believe the word "muggle" is a perfect word to describe non-cachers. Bummer if it offends you or you find it silly. Lots of cachers, including me, think it is an outstanding, fabulous and brilliant use, regardless of the meaning from prior decades.

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Lately I see "muggler" nearly as much as "muggle".

 

The use of "muggle" was a surprise to me, as muggle(s) is old slang for marijuana. It was the only meaning I knew for it (not being a reader of adolescent pop fiction).

 

Seemed an odd change "stash" to "cache" over for drug connotations, and pick up "muggle"!

 

I never use it.

 

Civilians works.

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All I know is, it makes something that's already nerdy and makes it extra nerdy. I don't use it.

 

+1

 

Apparently my geocaching name is also the name of a character from the same overrated children's books the word "muggles" comes from. I am somewhat bothered by this, but I was using this name on the internet a long time before those books existed, so I'm standing my ground.

 

When someone thinks I'm an enthusiast of such books, they get the same withering glare I give to people who think my child's name is from a soap opera. <_<:rolleyes:

 

But yes, let's phase out this silly word and replace it with something less hideous.

I happen to believe the word "muggle" is a perfect word to describe non-cachers. Bummer if it offends you or you find it silly. Lots of cachers, including me, think it is an outstanding, fabulous and brilliant use, regardless of the meaning from prior decades.

 

I never had a problem with the term, but I'm always surprised by how many people do when this subject comes up. I'd say at this point, it's never going to go away, so you might as well just roll with it. Hey, the new Harry Potter movie is in theatres, I need to check that out. :)

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I know, it's been asked before. But I was just talking to a friends son, and he asked me what Mundane meant, so looked it up and one answer was this...so why don't we call them Mundanes?

 

Because Harry Potter books are more contemporary to the start of geocaching than the Xanth novels, maybe?

 

Oops, exposed my nerdness. Gottagobye.

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All I know is, it makes something that's already nerdy and makes it extra nerdy. I don't use it.

 

+1

 

Apparently my geocaching name is also the name of a character from the same overrated children's books the word "muggles" comes from. I am somewhat bothered by this, but I was using this name on the internet a long time before those books existed, so I'm standing my ground.

 

When someone thinks I'm an enthusiast of such books, they get the same withering glare I give to people who think my child's name is from a soap opera. <_<:rolleyes:

 

But yes, let's phase out this silly word and replace it with something less hideous.

I happen to believe the word "muggle" is a perfect word to describe non-cachers. Bummer if it offends you or you find it silly. Lots of cachers, including me, think it is an outstanding, fabulous and brilliant use, regardless of the meaning from prior decades.

 

I think the connection to such an undesirable part of western pop culture is unfortunate, and when paired with an internet handle that is apparently also connected to that tripe, it has become a bit of a personal nuisance. I'm not offended by the word, I'm offended when others presume because of it that I read low-quality children's literature. Because of my personal circumstance, I'd appreciate an alternative word that did not bring with it such insulting connotations.

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I know, it's been asked before. But I was just talking to a friends son, and he asked me what Mundane meant, so looked it up and one answer was this...so why don't we call them Mundanes?

 

Because Harry Potter books are more contemporary to the start of geocaching than the Xanth novels, maybe?

 

Oops, exposed my nerdness. Gottagobye.

 

It wasn't put in the from of a pun so it doesn't count. <_<

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Can't switch now.

 

How would I refer to: "Mundane muggles making millions ofmore mashed maple mudpies"

 

Can't abide words starting with 'O'. eh!

 

OT... what bugs me is that IF you chose to use muggle, people have stopped using it correctly...

It was put forth as a term to describe 'non-geocachers' was it not? Yet it and its related words have become used mostly when referring to vandals and thieves in talking about caches... no wonder people seem to take offense with the term(s). There are other terms for the low lives. A muggle might be tomorrows cacher, I was!

I discovered a cache locally, read the cache sheet and signed up... I may not be the most prolific numbers wise, but I'm doing those I can reach by any means possible, there just aren't that many I can get to right now... I was certainly not a thief or vandal, just uninitiated to the pastime.

 

Now all that talk of mashed maple mudpies is making me hungry...

 

Doug 7rxc

Edited by 7rxc
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...so why don't we call them Mundanes?

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

I..., lacking imagination, ...

 

Based on this you would have to call a lot of geocachers Mundanes ... just have a look at all the uninspired caches around you

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I think the connection to such an undesirable part of western pop culture is unfortunate, and when paired with an internet handle that is apparently also connected to that tripe, it has become a bit of a personal nuisance. I'm not offended by the word, I'm offended when others presume because of it that I read low-quality children's literature. Because of my personal circumstance, I'd appreciate an alternative word that did not bring with it such insulting connotations.

 

It appears that you are most likely in the minority regarding the desirability of this book/movie series as well as the quality of the writing. Fortunately, for you, Narcissa plays a very small part in the series. Good thing you didn't choose Hermione those many years ago. But, unfortunately, Narcissa is aligned with the dark side of the force so that might be cause for some of the comments you receive.

 

Personally, I have never connected your alias with the HP character and I have read all the books and watched all the movies more than once each. I suspect it is a small minority of folks that actually talk to you about this but even that would likely be a great annoyance considering your opinion of the HP series.

 

The term "muggle", however, is likely here to stay as the many proposals through the years to have it changed have not been very successful.

 

We have a kind of "secret society" going with this game. Out on the street very few non-geocachers are aware of our game and of what we are doing when they see us in action. This makes for a rather all-too-obvious comparison to the HP stories.

 

I suspect that the "Mundane" movement will also fall a bit short. WSR is always thinking, though, and typically presents clever ideas... just like his interesting and fun cache containers.

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I love the term Muggle, and I think it's quite appropriate here.

 

BUT, I'm also a HUGE Potter fan, read the books, watched the movies and I think they are fantastic! Anything to get people reading!

 

Funny, I'd say "Anything to get people buying massive quantities of related merchandise and junk food!"

 

It's unfortunate that the widespread of use of this term in our game makes us complicit in a massive corporate agenda thinly veiled as children's literature, and it's sad that so many people are still falling for it.

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And by "massive corporate agenda", you mean they are looking for profit. How dare they entertain people for profit.

 

Yes, it's about entertainment for profit, not some greater good like getting people to read. Nothing wrong with profit, but this lie that it's about getting kids to read is pretty unethical.

 

If it was about getting people reading, they'd be publishing better quality books, not spewing out movie after movie with matching popcorn buckets and toys.

 

It's kind of sad that people think they're teaching their kids to read by purchasing hats and giant sodas, and annoying to me that the geocaching community is somewhat complicit in perpetuating this silliness.

 

Hooray for profit, boo to lies.

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Yes, it's about entertainment for profit, not some greater good like getting people to read. Nothing wrong with profit, but this lie that it's about getting kids to read is pretty unethical...

 

...It's kind of sad that people think they're teaching their kids to read by purchasing hats and giant sodas, and annoying to me that the geocaching community is somewhat complicit in perpetuating this silliness.

 

You seem to be getting the movies confused with the books.

 

The book set is simply just a long and very well written story by an unemployed mother who thought out the entire series before she submitted a word to an agent or publisher.

 

Maybe you haven't seen how the younger kids read these books. They devour them in a half day and they are not exactly short stories. Then they read them over again. And they did this from the very first book, before any movies, popcorn buckets, Bertie-Bots, hats or cardboard figures ever hit the streets.

 

The story is very popular among a broad age range and THAT is why MUGGLES came to be a natural and popular term in geocaching. And that is also why neither Mundanes (though I vote for this as my current favorite runner-up) or any other term will unseat Muggles for a very long time, if ever.

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.....MUGGLES came to be a natural and popular term in geocaching. And that is also why neither Mundanes (though I vote for this as my current favorite runner-up) or any other term will unseat Muggles for a very long time, if ever.

 

I'm seeing it unseated already. Maybe I'll start tracking this (okay, I won't <_< ). I see mugglers as much as (maybe more then) "muggles" lately. Though caches are "muggled". Or sometimes, "mugged".

 

The recent movie release may enliven "muggles" again, but over time, I'd expect it to fade.

 

I like Civilians.

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Yes, it's about entertainment for profit, not some greater good like getting people to read. Nothing wrong with profit, but this lie that it's about getting kids to read is pretty unethical...

 

...It's kind of sad that people think they're teaching their kids to read by purchasing hats and giant sodas, and annoying to me that the geocaching community is somewhat complicit in perpetuating this silliness.

 

You seem to be getting the movies confused with the books.

 

The book set is simply just a long and very well written story by an unemployed mother who thought out the entire series before she submitted a word to an agent or publisher.

 

 

I must admit that I am not very familiar with the books, but it's always been my impression that they are fairly well written.

 

Now that I have young children, I am curious how the books are considered from a literary standpoint, putting aside the "massive corporate agenda" aspects.

 

Are they of reasonable quality, or are they trash?

 

As for the orignal topic, I don't mind the term muggle and don't associate it with Harry Potter. In addition, the word Seeker in my name doesn't refer to the position played by Harry in the game of Quiddich (I never said I haven't seen the first movie) but I wouldn't get too worked up if someone thought so.

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Yes, it's about entertainment for profit, not some greater good like getting people to read. Nothing wrong with profit, but this lie that it's about getting kids to read is pretty unethical...

 

...It's kind of sad that people think they're teaching their kids to read by purchasing hats and giant sodas, and annoying to me that the geocaching community is somewhat complicit in perpetuating this silliness.

 

You seem to be getting the movies confused with the books.

 

The book set is simply just a long and very well written story by an unemployed mother who thought out the entire series before she submitted a word to an agent or publisher.

 

 

I must admit that I am not very familiar with the books, but it's always been my impression that they are fairly well written.

 

Now that I have young children, I am curious how the books are considered from a literary standpoint, putting aside the "massive corporate agenda" aspects.

 

Are they of reasonable quality, or are they trash?

 

As for the orignal topic, I don't mind the term muggle and don't associate it with Harry Potter. In addition, the word Seeker in my name doesn't refer to the position played by Harry in the game of Quiddich (I never said I haven't seen the first movie) but I wouldn't get too worked up if someone thought so.

I think they are good.

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