Glue residue that spells out “Mufti” on the steps of Carnegie Hall
Hidden Pomona is a podcast about the forgotten, obscure, and overlooked parts of Pomona College’s history, with new episodes every other Friday. Stick with us as we uncover the hidden history of our school.
Mufti, Pomona’s notorious secret society, has been a staple of the campus for generations, but very little is actually known about it. The organization of punsters-as-campus-commenters has stumped Pomona students and frustrated administrators alike with their cryptic messages that are printed on small sheets are paper and glued all across campus. When the paper is torn down, the glue leaves the infinity sign-shaped residue that liters all corners of the Pomona campus.
We compiled several dozens of these slips of paper — which are called “burgers” — from the Honnold/Mudd Special Collections, the Pomona College Archives, and from a former a Mufti member. These messages, which can be indecipherable to those that were not on campus at the time they were posted, range from just a few years ago to all the way back to the 1970s.
All the “burgers” that we’ve found are published below, organized by the decade in which we think they were published. Able to figure out the puns from one or more of the burgers? Add a comment on the image caption. Have a “burger” not on this page? Email us a picture at hiddenpomona@gmail.com.
1970s
ALEXANDER CAN’T BELLITTLE MUFTI
Harwood Muft / Court Moves in Split Decision / Dorm took the fifth (1974/75)
Fry Beta Mufti / Grade Eggspectations: A’s Over Easy / Summa Yolk, Rite (1974/75)
Commencement Exorcises: / Another Class Definishtrated / Sic transit gloria Mufti (1974/75)
Mufti Tidings of No Grade Joy / Profs Nicks Christmas / Students Frankly Incensed
Harryadne threadens. / Mufti in the Labryrinth: A Cretin Thesis / See Minos
1980s
P-weak arouses cliticism, falls flaccid. / Ova’s Metamorphosis: JOYless, scrambled naRcIssISm or echoes through an infertile imagination? / Muftiplied recroots issue cAVeat tO poachers
Elders pay for rape of Good Hope / Put Ye Trust in Stocks and Bondage / Mufti plays on key board decision
What’s wong with this picture? / Promiscuous Painter Forges Ahead / Mufti plays Frary organ (Feb. 1983)
Potential Fake: Graduation a-bhoring Climax? / Leftist Writer can’t Cum Econnilinguist Will Give Tongue / Mufti Keeps It Up! (1983)
Kappa dealt a stabbing blow / Offensive Rush Leaves Hole in Pigskin / Mufti’s extra point (Fall 1983 or Spring 1984)
Fassist orders shut up guilty parties / Testy Students Mind Fine / Mufti boos hours: 8 to 8 (Fall 1983)
Oppressive heat taps temperance / AGS Rooked By Dry Week Move / Rookies disoriented; Mufti Calling the Shots (September 1984)
Smiley’s alternative unattractive to Deans / Lack of Substance Makes AlocoholAwareness Weak / Mufti says top taking shots in the dark (Sept. 1985)
Sticky problem solved / Tackless Solution Lets Students Lower Bills / Mufti cleans up act. (Spring 1985)
Deans treat trick lightly / Officers on booze cruise wreck hardwood party boat / Mufti wants pigs penned (10/31/1985)
Dave says: Dammit, Gym, I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer / Erection delayed, stiffed jocks will get it in the end / Mufti pulls muscle, sports a trophy
NEW IMPROVED MUFTI BIO-DEGRADABLE SOLUTION TO STICKY SITUATION (c. 1985)
87 grads say Centennial has no class / Blast of a Century Leaves Thousands Holmeless / Mufti levels destructive criticism (1986)
Charlotte spins sticky web / New Haus of Ill Repute: Respected Parties Blown Off / Mufti longs for Sumner of love
Mufti Sends Seasoned Greetings / Happy Holidays / P.S. Some Mite Hold a Candle to the Seal
Dr: Dave says: “Salutations, Libations, and Donations” / Pomona Alums: Trained-in Philanthropy? / Mufti forecasts hailish week (1987/1988)
Potential Fake: Students poled just for the Halibut… / Flapan Lips SAC Fraternal Ships / Mufti sticks up for Elitership (12/2/89)
Anti-Mufti (1988/1989)
Faculty’s sharpened, Dave fires trustee 7-shooter / No Reservations Temper Duh-basement Free for All / Mufti, Stoked by More fuel, fires forge
Don’t trip on way to alter, boys / Drained Lizards Rush to Shotgun Weding Nite / Mufti keeps tabs on forked tongues (Spring 1989)
Linder: right, butt wrong / Gardner Goes Fourth, Estate Left to Gawbage Man / Mufti regrets paper loss
T.S Eliot dares to disturb the universe. guesses only Hollow Men. / Can’t Sort Them? Senatized Waste Gets Dumped on Heap, Reeks of Compost. / Mufti assesses cashualties: Anything is POSable. (Nov. 1986)
Typed page of Mufti “burgers” from the 1980s
1990s
Half-eaten Undelicious spit out: Will overripe fruits of labor cleanse the palate, or does one bad apple spoil the lot? / Error-Marks finally tallied: There’s No Accounting For Taste. / Mufti toasts breaking of stale-mated bread.
Cclause Polishes Off Dead Wood, Tabled Chairs Counger Shelving. / Minor Comes of Age, Major Goes Clubbing. / Mufti Declares: Finally.
Dispirited whiners tap into new cure for what ales them, and everything goes to pot. / Pastured Steed Jockeys for Position, Gaines No Profit from Off-Track Race. / Tune in to Mufti’s own Monday Night Live: Are ya done taking shots in the dark? (3/2/99)
2000s
Profitable endorsement Fosters drafting of flawless prose. / Money is Power. / Mufti analyzes Ediphus Complex: Sometimes a cigar is just an irritant. (2/10/2001)
Ardent SPeCtres fossilize five-figured debt; battling eyes fail to Bridge the G. A. P. / R. I. Prehistoric council finds Power in Numbers, but aboosive power leaves Quality Control mis-treated. / Mmmufti loves to have its Hardwood seksed at Halloween
Too-blue bird chickens out, ruffles feathers. Has Cecil’s last song been Sung? / Big Game Hunt for head Stag Bags New Doe: A Stark Contrast, but Well Done. / Mufti cheevers on Muttley Crew: Your ship has come in. Bone Voyage!
Krameron SIGNs crowe but deanies frankly fast times or saying anything. / Students Digress To The Nines, Get Wasted On The Way / Living in a Muftirical World: new kids on the bloc have The Rite Stuff
Impasters mistick Pawn for Queen, respond with weak opening. / Arresting Devlopment Rallies Uncivil Disobedients to Week End: Improperganda or Sage Advice? / Mufti grasps Peter’s phallacy, leaves admoneystration in compromising position 4/2/2001
Potential Fake: Coke Club of Los Angeles. / Graduates revel and savor success. / Mufti endorses the Habit. (4/27/01)
Where are the Elmers of Yesteryear? / PoCo Mag Goes On Fishing Exposition / Mufti Rumors Greatly Exaggerated (c. 2002)
College defaults on four-year bonds / Interest Rates Low as Grads Take Bull by Horn / Mufti sinks bank shot
Department misconduct; instrumental players miss marc. / owers rratic ttempts to ontain nmity Missing Peace / Mufti decries forum over content. (10/28/03)
What was the fare? Perceived academic changes affect 2005 last. / ELEVEN YEAR OLD TAKES OVERDUE BATH WITH FISHES. / Mufti makes one left of ART gone. (2005?)
Cold illusion denies foundations of science; get Seeryous! / Peter’s Miracle to save Faith in Gesus: Baptism by Hire / Mufti raves: “Chuck out the nightflub! Soo Phyne!
Mufti only meekly amuseing: Group trapped IN downward SPIREal. / Only Older Oligarchs: Orchestrate Obfuscated Orthoepy; lack mission, suffer de-compose-ition, war-rant saidition. / Once flowering Mufti tradition plucked; noisy Mufty DISplay DISapproved of by Eliterate
Student Body sick of Afflictive Degradation / Why Cough with trash talkers? Spreading bad influec@…@…@tiu. / Mufti refuses to cover its mouth.
Half-eaten Undelicious spit out: Will overripe fruits of labor cleanse the palate, or does one bad apple spoil the lot? / Error-Marks Finally Tallied: There’s No Accounting For Taste. / Muft toasts breaking of stale-mated bread.
Spon-sores, weed like to clear the err / TALK OF THE TOWNES: DEANS GONE BIRDSERK — GO RA-WAY OR THE HIGHWAY! / Mufti trills to Drama queen: Dissolution is Questionable
PC SACked by Typeical InepTitudeS. / Byeology Nicks Shiz in bud; sighence de-vision dean-eyed. / Mufti Bonds with 007.
2010s
Alleg(ed)ation has workers fired (up) over as I-9 deadline / Students apPauled; commUnity Efronted. The 1st will be last for some. / Mufti says: Now Hiring! (2011)
colorful lip service is a vulvar mutt-tease / seniors Wig out substancially; OCLevated takebacklash / mufti says: a school and its money are soon partied (2013)
facile fools Mete fossil fuels / acdIveStS mEthane with the neustaDtUS quo: coal RecEption? your gaS is as good as mine / mufti says: frack off (2013)
UMITE HERE about Mounting Dues / politicoke machine: Waiting For Just(ice) / Mufti says: enjoy PUB Lite (2013)
Oak Hospitalized when they said it was Albright / There’s a special place in hellth for heavy-Janded deans / Mufti Saalutes Hidden Tidbits: Catch Us If You Conor! (4/19/16)
