I don't think its either significant, nor insignificant that some readers make the Nazi/Nazgul connection - some readers just do, & I can't believe that it never once, for one second, struck Tolkien too, before he dismissed it. The similarity between the two words is interesting, especially considering the period in which LotR was written. Noting the similarity between the words does not imply the whole book is an allegory. I'm not arguing that Tolkien was implying Nazgul=Nazis/Fascists. I'm simply arguing that some readers will make that connection, that possibly it struck Tolkien too, & that it doesn't actually mean very much except to show that people make those kinds of connections. Of course 'Good sense matters', but simply to mentally note ''Nazgul' looks like 'Nazi' & isn't it curious that both refer to sick/evil/twisted beings?' & then pass on (which is what I did on first reading LotR involves neither good nor bad sense - it was just what popped into my head at the time) doesn't actually involve 'sense' at all. However, if someone took up the idea & ran with it in order to 'prove' LotR was nothing but an allegory of WWII thye would have 'left the path of wisdom'.
As to the 'Mafeking' thing, actually I would find that quite an interesting example of how the popular imagination appropriates stories & localises events, in effect making their local area more significant & magical (if you look at how many sites across Western Europe are associated with King Arthur you perhaps see the same process).
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Or am I just indiscriminately reading meanings into arbitrary patterns?
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Yes, but its still interesting to see how people's imaginations work & the connections they make, & what a story means to them.