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maudlin
= 'excessively sentimental' - pronunciation: MAWD-linGerman Translation: weinerlich, weinselig, rührselig, gefühlvoll
Tradition states that the follower of Jesus known as 'Mary Magdalene' was a former prostitute. She's therefore often shown in western art as a woman tearfully penitent about her past. Maudlin is an alteration of Magdalene and a reference to her weepy expression.
Note: In England, the names of Oxford's Magdalen College and Cambridge's Magdalene College are both pronounced 'maudlin.