Carrie Underwood Comes Out as MAGA With Trump Inauguration Gig
The country singer, who has remained mum on her politics, will be performing at Monday’s inauguration.
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who has remained mum on her politics
What does "remained mum" mean?
remained private
Oh right - we'd normally say "kept schtum".
I was trying to work out what about her being a mum meant about her politics!
You might also see or hear "mum's the word" as a way to tell those other than yourself to keep quiet, but that's a bit archaic these days.
Wikipedia says:
Mum is a Middle English word meaning 'silent',[2] and may be derived from the mummer who acts without speaking.[3] Note the similar English word "mime" (Old English "mīma", Latin "mimus") meaning silent actor or imitator.
I guess it's a word that remained in use in the U.S. but fell out of favor in other parts of the English-speaking world.
You might also see or hear “mum’s the word” as a way to tell those other than yourself to keep quiet, but that’s a bit archaic these days.
I've heard the expression a few times but never actually understood what it meant! But yeah it's never used in everyday language.
I don't know that I ever heard it said by anyone younger than the Boomer generation.
Still in use in the UK too. See for example the title of the Rowan Atkinson film "Keeping Mum".
It's similar in etymology to mum's the word iirc
