When:
Lookups spiked on February 19, 2014.
Why:
70s rocker and political activist Ted Nugent referred to President Obama as a "subhuman mongrel" in an interview. Nugent is known for his inflammatory remarks, but this one gained attention as he campaigns for Republicans in Texas. As Wolf Blitzer pointed out on CNN, Nugent's choice of words echos Nazi descriptions of Jews; many other Republicans have distanced themselves from the offensive language.
Mongrel means "an individual resulting from the interbreeding of diverse breeds or strains," and can refer to plants or animals. It's often used to mean "a dog with parents of different breeds." Mongrel comes from the Middle English word meaning "mixture" and ultimately from the Old English word for "crowd."
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
