The original Maverick

As ye socks prepare for tonight's big presidential debate, I couldn't resist a little history mini-lesson on the term "maverick."

Be assured it was coined long before John McCain decided to run for president as someone who doesn't follow the crowd.

Believe it or not, it is actually older than McCain himself. And, that's saying something, no?!

The word was originally the surname of the gentleman pictured here: Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803-1870).

A native of South Carolina, he went to Texas as a young man, was at the Alamo, but escaped to see Sam Houston win the state's indpendence at the Battle of San Jacinto.

What turned his surname into the descriptive moniker we use today was not old Sam's exploits.

In fact, it derives from his laziness.

While other early ranchers busied themselves branding their cattle with specific marks, Sam just let his run wild. Thus, all the unbranded cattle were simply assumed to be "Maverick's!"

Somebody saw the humor in all that and began to say the same thing about politicians who defied branding.

John McCain certain does that . . .