Mongrel

Theodore “Ted” Nugent, an old rocker who has traveled a long way since his days with The Amboy Dukes and their hit single Journey to the Center of the Mind, recently called President Obama a “mongrel.” A long time ago, when Ted was a young man, calling someone a mongrel was an insult. But the world changes, and language changes, and today the word is just as likely to be used as a friendly term.

“You’re … you’re … you’re mixed breed!”
”Yes, I am. Thanks for noticing.”
”Huh?”
”Oh wait, were you trying to insult me?”
”Yes. Did it work?”
“Rush me to the burn unit.”

Nevertheless, we all know Ted intended an insult, even if his head is stuck in the ‘60s (the 1860s). But the statement made me start thinking about the word mongrel.

Of course, the word can mean “mutt” – a dog that belongs to no particular breed; i.e., mixed-breed. (It’s worth noting that mongrels are often healthier than purebreds.) But the word has other meanings.

Mongrel is a cool store in Richmond, Virginia. Their home page is here, and it’s worth a visit to see some of the neat things they sell. They have an eclectic inventory: lamps and pillows and picture frames and candles and mirrors and greeting cards and all manner of whatnots. They sell things made by local artists and craft people. Some of their inventory is shown in a photo slideshow on this page. (There are several slideshows; navigation links are just below the pictures.) Mongrel’s logo is a winking mongrel dog.

Mongrel is an open-source software library and a small, fast, web server. It was the first web server to be used by Twitter.

Mongrel is a British-Irish rock band formed in 2008. (Brits would say, “Mongrel are a rock band.”)

Mongrel is an American rock band based in the Boston, Massachusetts area.

Mongrel is the name of a 1982 movie written and directed by the late Robert A. Burns. (Burns was Art Director for 1974’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre, 1977’s The Hills Have Eyes, and other similar movies.)

Mongrel X is a UK organization with a mission to engage and empower diverse marginalized groups.

America boasts of being a “melting pot” of people from all parts of the world. As such, many Americans have mixed ancestry. If you are part Italian and part Greek, or part Scot and part Chinese – does that make you a mongrel? And if it does, so what?