--- title: Harry Potter: Boris Johnson Uses 'Mugwump' as Insult description: Following Boris Johnson's use of the insult "mutton-headed old mugwump," Twitter went to work to clear up confusion over the unique snub. canonical: https://time.com/4757843/harry-potter-boris-johnson-mugwump-insult/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-27T19:38:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T08:47:52.745Z og:title: This Politician Just Used a Harry Potter Word as an Insult og:description: And the Internet doesn't know what to think og:url: https://time.com/4757843/harry-potter-boris-johnson-mugwump-insult/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38f8626d22064bcb/69888eb18e0601dfb7465633/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2500 og:image:height: 1406 og:image:alt: harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Politician Just Used a Harry Potter Word as an Insult twitter:description: And the Internet doesn't know what to think twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38f8626d22064bcb/69888eb18e0601dfb7465633/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Internet Doesn't Know What to Make of This British Politician Using a _Harry Potter_ Word as an Insult > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=995ed7d8-1dfd-4825-a820-118085eb0cb8&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Boris Johnson is Britain's New Foreign Secretary [Watch (HLS stream): Boris Johnson is Britain's New Foreign Secretary](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/7RDoI5lu.m3u8) (0:46)  _Published 2016-07-14. In one of her first acts as Prime Minister, Theresa May has appointed Boris Johnson as Britain's Foreign Secretary._  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Apr 27, 2017 7:38 PM UTC In one of her first acts as Prime Minister, Theresa May has appointed Boris Johnson as Britain's Foreign Secretary.  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Apr 27, 2017 7:38 PM UTC When in doubt over the origin of an [epic insult](http://time.com/4198073/kanye-west-wiz-khalifa-twitter-shakespeare/), leave it to the Internet to decipher all its possible meanings. Following British Foreign Secretary [Boris Johnson’s](http://time.com/4726215/boris-johnson-syria-assad-barbaric/) recent denouncement of Labour leader [Jeremy Corbyn](http://time.com/4529435/10-questions-jeremy-corbyn/) as a “mutton-headed old mugwump,” Twitter went to work to clear up confusion over the unique snub. “Boris Johnson called Corbyn a Mugwump?!,” [one user wrote](https://twitter.com/peab23/status/857463784377659392) in reference to the politician’s criticism of Corbyn in a column for [_The_ _Sun_](https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3423290/boris-johnson-slams-jeremy-corbyn-as-an-extreme-danger-to-the-uk-urging-voters-to-avoid-voting-for-him-out-of-pity/). “When Johnson slags you off you have to get out ye olde dictionary to understand it!” However, it quickly came to light that the word “mugwump” has roots in multiple works of fiction, including two Roald Dahl classics — _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ and _The Twits_ — William S. Burroughs’ _Naked Lunch_ novel, and J.K. Rowling’s _Harry Potter_ series. But while Johnson himself [told ](http://www.esquire.co.uk/life/news/a14561/boris-johnson-mugwump-politics/)[_Good Morning Britain_](http://www.esquire.co.uk/life/news/a14561/boris-johnson-mugwump-politics/)he was inspired by the [words of Willy Wonka](https://twitter.com/JoeMurphyLondon/status/857475216850726912?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref%5Furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.esquire.co.uk%2Flife%2Fnews%2Fa14561%2Fboris-johnson-mugwump-politics%2F), those assessing the remark from a wizarding world perspective were convinced it may have actually been a compliment. “Boris Johnson calling Corbyn a ‘mugwump’ is a bit silly given that a mugwump is the most senior judge in the Wizengamot. Duh,” [one user pointed out](https://twitter.com/TillyTeacher/status/857474769398136832?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref%5Furl=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2017%2F04%2F27%2Fharry-potter-mugwump-boris-johnson-jeremy-corbyn%2F), referencing a position that Albus Dumbledore once held. Rowling, on the other hand, apparently has different thoughts on the matter. > [](https://twitter.com/jk%5Frowling/status/770958110882164736) See the reactions below. > [](https://twitter.com/OldBlackHack/status/857482815872667649) > [](https://twitter.com/JoeMurphyLondon/status/857475216850726912) > [](https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson/status/857483076401844224) > [](https://twitter.com/TillyTeacher/status/857474769398136832) > [](https://twitter.com/Hopeful%5FMonster/status/857494427803242497) > [](https://twitter.com/WhyToVoteGreen/status/857496775996964864) > [](https://twitter.com/SteveGforUndy/status/857479730332872704) ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] [ LAUGH ] [00:05] How are you? [00:11] [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] I'm [00:17] the circumstance. Parliament. I [00:21] have concluded that person cannot be me. 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