Old Words Like ‘Snollygoster’ Give Citizens Political Power

On January 10 2026 CBC Radio’s “Sunday Magazine” aired an audio‑exclusive piece in which lexicographer Susie Dent explained how resurrecting archaic terms—such as the satirical “snollygoster,” a shrewd, unprincipled politician, and “mumpsimus,” a stubborn, evidence‑ignoring figure—can empower people by naming the emotions or behaviours they witness in politics. Dent also highlighted “empleomania,” an obsession to stay in office, as fitting for leaders like former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, Syrian President Bashar Al‑Assad, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Political scientist Jamie Gillies of St. Thomas University, Fredericton, added that such vocabulary reframes current events, conceivably turning cynical labels into witty, descriptive tools. The episode, estimated at five minutes, ran on CBC Radio’s “Sunday Magazine.”