A Caucus Race

I'm so happy to know I'm not the only one who thinks of Lewis Carroll when I see the word caucus. I've included a handy link here for those of you who aren't up on your Alice in Wonderland. Indeed, as it is the day of the Iowa Caucus, there are other bloggers out in the universe making this reference. However, I'm not sure how many of them are considering the etymology of the word.

On this news this morning, the announcer suggested the word has roots in Native American language (Algonquin--I had to look this up). The suggestion is that it comes from caucauasu--one who advises.

However, the dictionaries generally credit Latin caucus or Greek kaukus (hey, if you use a k, it makes it Greek, right?). Both these suggest a cup or vessel and might relate to what the caucus-goers are doing, namely drinking. In Alice in Wonderland, the caucus is used to dry off. And everyone knows that drinkers need an opportunity to dry off, or dry out.

Frankly, I kind of prefer this meaning. I'm not sure how much advising goes on in a caucus. Methinks there is more running around in circles. If the Republicans weren't so worried about turning off their base, they would be cracking more jokes about the Democrats running around in circles a la Lewis Carroll. But that would be WAY too liberal literati. Apparently the Republican caucus is more organized, more 6th-grade class election-like. Everyone places a piece of paper in a box. Democrats run around a room and pile up under signs designating their choice. To me, that is much more in the spirit of a caucus.

In other news, I promise to be a more faithful blog contributer this year. My life is slightly less frantic than it was. And I know you've been waiting with baited breath to read up on word meanings and other random musings.