| has gloss | eng: Moonbat is a term used in United States politics as a political epithet referring to social liberals or leftists. Etymology According to an article by self-described New York Times "language maven" William Safire, the term was first used by science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein in 1947. Heinlein used the term in a 1947 short story, "Space Jockey," as the name of the third stage of a rocket bound for the moon. Descriptions of bat-like people on the moon were part of the 1835 Great Moon Hoax. One explanation for the current political use is that the term was derived from the name of liberal author George Monbiot. |
