Word of the Day

: January 19, 2009

maudlin

adjective MAUD-lin

What It Means

1 : drunk enough to be emotionally silly

2 : weakly and effusively sentimental

maudlin in Context

"Oh, please don't be maudlin," cried Monica when Mills dropped to his knees, held her hand to his tear-soaked cheek, and begged her for forgiveness.

Did You Know?

The history of "maudlin" owes as much to the Bible as to the barroom. The biblical Mary Magdalene is often (though some say mistakenly) identified with the weeping sinner who washed Jesus' feet with her tears to repent for her sins. This association led to the frequent depiction of Mary Magdalene as a weeping penitent, and by the 16th century even the name "Magdalene" suggested teary emotion to many English speakers. It was then that "maudlin," an alteration of "Magdalene," appeared in the English phrase "maudlin drunk," which, as one Englishman explained in 1592, described a tearful drunken state whereby "a fellow will weepe for kindnes in the midst of his Ale and kisse you."