Slumgullion

By Mark Morgan Ford · August 23, 2022 · 1 min read

– believed to be derived from “slum” (an old word for “slime”) and “gullion” (“mud” or “cesspool”) – was used by miners during the California gold rush to describe the muddy slurry left behind after washing gold. By the turn of the 20th century, it was used to describe a weak, tasteless beverage or stew. From Roughing It by Mark Twain: “Then he poured for us a beverage he called ‘Slumgullion.’ And it is hard to think he was not inspired when he named it. It really pretended to be tea, but there was too much dish-rag, and sand, and old bacon-rind in it to deceive….”

Slumgullion

Petrichor

eye-minded (adjective)

coup de foudre (noun)

Anagnorisis

Chimerical