Carpetbagism

/ˈkɑːrpɪtbæɡɪzəm/ noun

Definition

Alternative form of carpetbaggism; the practice or ideology of carpetbaggers.

Etymology

A variant spelling of carpetbaggism, dropping one 'g' before adding '-ism'; both forms existed in 19th-century usage with the same meaning.

Kelly Says

The fact that people couldn't agree on whether to spell it with one or two 'g's shows how new and controversial the concept was—language was still figuring out how to describe the scandal!

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