Here is a new idea. Hermione is born with pubic hair on her head and her long frizzy hair between her legs.

 

A slight refinement. Neville makes a hair color changing potion while practicing for his OWLs. No one wants to try it out (duh!). Hermione, being the self righteous prig she is, first berates everyone for not having faith in him and not wanting to help him become a better brewer, and then drinks it.

Cue hair swap and general hilarity.

Edit: I've posted this in the plot bunny thread too. https://forums.darklordpotter.net/showpost.php?p=782618&postcount=1189

 

When "mundane" is used as a PC replacement for "Muggle." It's almost always a part of the Backwoods!British Wizards trope, which is bad enough. But beyond that, mundane seems like a pretty offensive label to attach to a group. This just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

This. I don't know the etymology of the word muggle, but mundane seems kind of offensive.

I remember a fic where muggles were referred to as 'Techs'. Seems fairly accurate, if you want to use something other than muggle.

 

JKR actually uses "mundane", but not as a replacement for Muggle. Instead she uses it to refer to non-magical nature i.e. magical vs. mundane nature.

As for etymology, "Muggle" has a few similar words: "to muddle through" (to go about something haphazardly, without skill or knowledge), and "mug" (a gullible idiot).

 

I propose that we vote on a new, inclusive term. Here are my suggestions:

A) Spiritually Deformed
B) Shaved Monkey
C) Homo Sapiens Must Not Be Named

 

You can call non-magicals "normal".

 

Normal isn't a fixed group or type, and I think the last thing Wizards would call Muggles is "normal".

 

Muggles aren't normal. They travel around in wierd mechanical beasts and can't even use magic.

 

"Mundane" as an insult seems like it would hit harder when Pureblood A. (Malfoy, for ex.) says it about Pureblood B. (Nott). Only a person who thinks themselves "above" Muggles would really be bothered by being outright called "non-magical".

Furthermore, the direct definition of the word mundane is "lacking interest or excitement; dull." You're saying that someone or something is "boring", "uninteresting" not so much "unskilled, untalented, abnormal". I doubt Hermione's going to be called mundane and say "That's the meanest thing any one in the wizarding world has ever said to me! Stop calling me that!"

Then again, it would be irritating if someone consistently said you were boring (case in point, my fiancee, who likes to remind of this when its convenient for her. Ie: "We're not doing the thing I want tonight? You are so boring) BUT it's a mere annoyance rather than something that makes you want to find them in a dark alley and leave them there, bleeding from a rather large chest wound.

 

Doesn't matter what the label is, people will eventually find it offensive.

 

This is why I mentions the "Techs" thing. It clearly separates the magicals and the non-magicals, and it's very accurate.

Nobody gives a shit about how the magicals insult each other

 

"Normal" works very well, and won't insult the 99% of the population you're adressing.

 

Wizards speak and live with other wizards. For them, magical beings are normal so using that word to refer to non-magical is deceiving.

 

Mudblood just rolls off the tongue better than mundane(-born).

Personally, I think the wizarding world needs more derogatory terms for all sorts of people, be they pureblood, half-blood or muggle-born.

 

Well, you can always call purebloods inbred

 

Pureblood already sounds like you're talking about horses.

 

Getting pretty sick of song lyrics taking up half a page worth of text. Does ANYONE actually read those because I just skip them.

The stories that have these in them are generally not very high quality either, which just makes them even worse...

 

Doesn't bother me what the author rolls with if its not to outlandish. Muggleborn, muggle, mundane, non-magical etc are all fine so long as Hermione/<insert char here> doesn't go on a rant about how degrading it is to be called muggleborn or some such term. As soon as a fic calls special attention the term used that's usually what annoys me, not the term itself.

 

Fics that try to redeem the Malfoys, I honestly like that they're snobby assholes that are stuck in their ways. Oh, and fics that try to redeem Snape.