In The Wizard of Oz the dwarfish helpers were called Munchkins. The term subsequently (after release of the film in 1939) came into American slang to mean a menial, a low-ranking staff-member, especially in the phrase ‘low-level Munchkin’....

Munchkins are the natives of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. They first appeared in the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which they are described as being somewhat short of stature, and wear only blue. Later...