Why Is the Word Mud Used For a Ruined Reputation and Where Did the Term Come From?

After John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln at the Ford Theater, he broke his leg while leaping from the balcony and onto the stage.

During his escape, Booth stopped in at the home of a country doctor for treatment.

That doctor’s name was Mudd.

Although he claimed no knowledge of Booth’s crime, Dr. Mudd was sent to prison, and in America, his name became unfairly synonymous with disrepute.