How mud-slinging came into existence

(April 1998)
Ajay Sathyanath



For years now, people have been wondering how the name mud-slinging came into existence. It first started in 2nd century BC. The story goes.....

Ole man Joseph and his wife Josephine loved to sun bathe on the silver sands of the beach Kyri-ktush. Word has it that Josephine constantly insisted on better performance from Mr Joseph. Now, the story contrary to what one might think, has nothing to do with the sedate couple!! But, it was not far away from the beach where a lion made its den. The lion, a particularly crippled animal of prey, waited for hours to get one of them to be away from the other.

During its long waits it often saw the couple at work. The lonely lion posessed neither the charm of having healthy legs, nor even mud in its den to provide a cosy enough feeling in attracting fellow lionesses. Angered by circumstances and guided by instincts, the lion roared and roamed all heaven and earth, and history has it that it reached a poor potter's house. Once the potter saw the lion approaching, he ran for dear life and accidentally hit upon a lever that turned his wheel and threw a jacket of liquid mud on the royal eyes of the lion. Unbeknownst to the lion that it had finally found its search, the angered royalty spat the mud back on to the potter face.

Strange as it may seem, the mud spat by the lion gelled with its saliva and the potter's sweat to make ethnic designs on its way down to the ground. The business minded potter immediately saw the work of art and struck a deal with the lion. So, there they would sit all day long; one would chuck mud and the other would spit it back -- forming great artistic value in the process. This, the fellow villagers named as the Mud-Slinging businessmen. The Mud-Slinging businessmen went on to become millionaires, and would never dream of returning to their natural habitats.

The lion was crowned successor to the wealth and the potter soon came to be known as silly-con, where CON stood for Chaotically Oriented Niceties.

Incidentally thats where the word silicon comes from.

Next week: we bring you more on men/animals who became words.
presented by:
Aapki Duniya Khojiye,
Explore your World,
Kamonachi balobashi fibonacci,
Ajay Sathyanath.