The Curious Story Behind the Phrase Mumbo Jumbo
“Mumbo jumbo” slips off the tongue like harmless nonsense, yet its journey from a sacred Mandinka word to an English synonym for gibberish is laced with colonial trauma, linguistic appropriation, and cultural erasure. Understanding that journey equips writers, editors, and curious readers to avoid unwittingly perpetuating stereotypes while sharpening their sensitivity to loaded language. The…