8 Are womens History Month characters real or fictional? Curmudgeons are the setters of trends. March Madness has long been the NCAAs Magic Eraser. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! I suppose that when a highlander became too old to wield a claymore, he took up the peddlers trade. In my opinion, as a self-appointed arbiter of English usage, its time for male codgers to move over and make room on the park bench for the lady codgers. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In this page you can discover 12 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for curmudgeonly, like: waspish, crusty, gruff, ill-humored, ill-humoured, sycophantic, cantankerous, supercilious, humourless, world-weary and condescending. What does that indignity amount to, weighed, I mean, in the scales of the New Testament? The American Heritage Dictionary defines a codger as a somewhat eccentric man, especially an old one., But, to be nonsexist about it, women can be somewhat eccentric, too, and they can even be old. 3 for or composed of women or girls. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The word refers to a person who worries or complains about small, trifling things, and if it has an old-fashioned ring to it, thats because it is a bit old-fashioned. From the written evidence we have for the phrase humps and grumps our best guess is that it was a colloquialism that was common in speech long before it showed up in print. Our earliest written record of it is actually in the plural, and generally in the phrase humps and grumps to refer to slights or other indignities: But though they [the elderly] are suffered to live, tis under many hardships and restrictions, many humps and grumps, and scarce a day but they are asked what they do out of their graves. Daniel Defoe, The Protestant Monastery: or, a Complaint against the Brutality of the Present Age, 1727. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. What is it with crotchety men and crappy armchairs? https://thesaurus.yourdictionary.com/curmudgeonly, Il tuo indirizzo email non sar pubblicato. 
Webster's New World Similar definitions The definition of a curmudgeon is a cranky, ill What should I expect from a recruiter first call? and a spoilsport is, as you'd expect, one who ruins merriment, fun, or sport. WebWhat is a female curmudgeon called? These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curmudgeon.' Both Oscar the Grouch and Groucho have given grouch a whimsical, comic castbut the original grouch was anything but whimsical or comic. Their dress often highlights the fact they stand outside the group. I definitely qualify!. DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word, Scrooge, Grinch, and Churl: Wonderful Words for Unpleasant People, "Grinch, Scrooge, and Other Names for Curmudgeonly Characters". What is the name for a female curmudgeon? 1 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man. Fuss seems straightforward enough, but what about that budget? The piece sense did eventually give us the more conventional meaning of hunk were familiar with via Hollywood tabloids. House seemed to loathe all his patients and everyone else at fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, except for his friend Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), whom he tormented in a twisted show of affection. What would be the equivalent word for a female codger? Sherri asked. The word is quite rare in general use, appearing only in some Scottish and northern British dialects: At least we can see the auld ettercap into the ground now, Christ be praised. Pat McIntosh, The Counterfeit Madam, 2011. This time its a highlighter. Amazon Customer 1y ago LIVE Points 50 Rating Similar Questions What is a curmudgeon? And I guess shed be almost human if she ever had a husband of her own, even if her husband was old fuss-budget Frank. Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind, 1936, Engert was enacting for me, in miniature, one of his favorite public personas: the rake in a comedy of manners, the charmer whose bad behavior is so finally harmless that only his accusers look foolish in the end. He used it in Moby Dick and A Confidence-Man. The definition of a curmudgeon is a cranky, ill tempered individual. When a bullet wound left Seattles most peevish former detective Marty Crane (John Mahoney) with a limp and a cane, he was forced to move in with his son Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), the two men clashed on everything from Ballantine beer vs. pinot grigio, baseball vs. opera, sleek sofas vs. clashing chairs. Some adjectives and nouns have gendered connotations, such as "dashing" for a man or "beautiful" for a woman. If youre Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith), its a given. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Clearly, I only play a curmudgeon in the newspaper. It was originally believed to have come from coeur mechant, the French phrase for evil heart, but that theory has been long discarded. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. All rights reserved. Curmudgeon is a uni-sex term. It does not store any personal data. WebOpposite of a person who hoards money rather than spending it. One of our oldest meanings of budget is to refer to a pouch or bag, and while this meaning is now mostly found in older works and in dialectal speech, it is the core meaning used in fussbudget. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You can find a compendious list of cutthroats compiled by rogue linguist Brianne Hughes at her site Encyclopedia Briannica. A killjoy is someone who kills joy; a spoilsport is someone who spoils sport. Learn a new word every day. We celebrate the crustiest of them all by highlighting some of TVs most notorious naysayers. One moose, two moose. We called them lovers knobs, because they eliminated the need to keep both hands on the steering wheel, wrote John Barry, a native Bostonian who now calls himself a Tar Heel. Who are the strongest female characters in the world? geon ()kr-m-jn Synonyms of curmudgeon 1 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man 2 archaic : miser curmudgeonliness ()kr-m-jn-l-ns noun The word is attested from the late 1500s in the forms curmudgeon and curmudgen, and during the 17th century in numerous spelling variants, including cormogeon, cormogion, cormoggian, cormudgeon, curmudgion, curmuggion, curmudgin, curr-mudgin, curre-megient. But by the time grutch disappeared, the meaning of grudge had narrowed to refer to pain and resentment caused by a personal injury. H.L. They have their own minds, values, and trends. Another reader, whose note flew off the moving truck as we moved away from the lake and closer to town, wondered whether a curmudgeon might be a rough equivalent of a codger. Making educational experiences better for everyone. Give that lady a gender-neutral codgers certificate. That does not mean the curmudgeon is the ultimate man, it just means the qualities of a very feminine woman - delicacy, prettiness, warmth, softness, sweetness, sparkle - pretty well define what a curmudgeon is not. While some have suggested male equivalents such as curmudgeon or git it is the female-centric terms that specifically denote ugliness, unpleasantness and often poor hygiene. Privacy Policy. John Boyd Talks the Full-Tilt, Unhinged Scola in FBI Crossover, Copyright 2023 NTVB Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved, 6 TV Weirdos Who See the World Differently, 10 Actors Who Proved Their Versatility on TV. Opposite of an ill-tempered person full of stubborn ideas or opinions. . Miscellaneous 1 Answer What does curmudgeon mean? We called her battle axe. Unfortunately, there is no precise female analog in the English language. This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. noun. What are some female fictional characters you must know about? A fussbudget is a person filled, like a bag, with complaints and crotchets over trivial things. The director of Pawnee Parks and Rec department may not have time for your bull, but hes got all the energy in the world for breakfast meat. 1 Answer Curmudgeon is a uni-sex term. The bird is fine, the bird is fine, the bird is fine, its dead. The snide, plain-speaking dad always felt the need to keep son Eric (Topher Grace) from getting too lovey-dovey by reminding him constantly of his hard-ass toughness. Ash copied the word into his dictionary in this manner: "Curmudgeon: from the French cur unknown; and mchant, a correspondent.". I just think I may be one., Shes not alone. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The plural noun hunks has almost no modern use, though it does have significant use in older literature, and was a favorite of Melvilles. Nobody seems to know where the word originated, but its been around since Shakespeares time. Its not all grouch and grump: we delineate between the various kinds of curmudgeons among us. Matthias and the other mice of Redwall Abbey must fight off a horde of rat invaders led by the evil Cluny. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. What makes someone a curmudgeon? Delivered to your inbox! 1 What is the name for a female curmudgeon? Oh, and by the way, Ill have a Coke in a small glass bottle with a pack of peanuts on the side.. She is a motivated and ambitious young girl with her own opinion on everything and doesnt allow herself to be suppressed by others. Thats not to say that a grutch was always a piddling affair: Quenchynge the good opinyon and loue that all men had towarde me, and chaungynge it to a feruent grutche & hatred. Thomas Elyot, The Image of Governence, 1541. 2 archaic : miser. The adjective crotchety describes someone whos difficult, irritable, and ornery. It has seen two spikes in use during its life: one in the 1930s: She really must care about him, thought Scarlett in contempt. All Rights Reserved. There is no female version. I then set forth a list of criteria that might make one a codger. female charm. Relishing the role of curmudgeon, he observed that the open range had sprouted sprawling suburbia, that old barns and rustic windmills had given way to sleek glass towers thrusting skyward in several of the nations largest cities. Emmys 2014: Who Will and Who Should Be Nominated, Tom Tancredo Loses GOP Primary For Colorado Governor, Chris Messina Isnt Just Dr. Castellano on The Mindy Project, Saving Mr. Banks Is This Oscar Seasons Breath of Fresh Air, Running Commentary from the Jubilee Pageant. They are willing to be the one person wearing the bow tie in the group. The word grump isnt as old as youd think, given how apt it is to describe a person who is given to complaining. Attercop as a word is quite old: in fact, it was what we called spiders before we called them spiders. I campi obbligatori sono contrassegnati *. His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project. The correct answer is termagant which means a mean-spirited or angry woman. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curmudgeon. I was thinking of suicide knobs just a bit ago and wondering when they were last available, wrote Tom Netsel of Jamestown. An alternative spelling attested in 1600 is cornmudgin, in Holland's translation of Livy, rendering frumentarius "corn-merchant". Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates? And over eight seasons, audiences tuned in less for his brains than for his shocking behavior, which could only be (partially) explained by the constant pain he suffered from a poorly healed leg wound. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The stories he likes to tell about himself all involve narrow escapes from one variety or another of fussbudget or prude. This rugged, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps curmudgeon kept a shotgun on his desk and worshipped author Ayn Rand. Can old codgers be female? asked Pauline Davidson after reading a recent column. 2023. WebWhat is the literal meaning of curmudgeon? What is a female codger? The piece hunk appears in the 1800s; if it were the origin of the surly person sense, it should appear before 1600. It was originally believed to have come from coeur mechant, the French phrase for evil heart, but that theory has been long discarded. You can cancel at any time. In my view, a codger can be a curmudgeon and a curmudgeon can be a codger, but the two arent necessarily the same. Patch flourished around 1530; the fool patch appeared in writing shortly thereafter. This particular hunks refers to an ill-tempered and often miserly person. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". An old coot, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is an eccentric or crotchety person, especially an eccentric old man. In other words, a codger and a curmudgeon combined. Definition of curmudgeon 1 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man. Noun. It was first used around 1600 to refer to a surly man, and the best guess etymologists have as to its origins is that it might have originally been a generalized nickname (just as Books is attested to as a nickname for someone who is smart, or Boots is a nickname for someone known for wearing boots). Sign in with Amazon. And the progression of meaning from an unwieldy piece of something to a large or unwieldy person to a foolish or ill-tempered person seems to fit. Instead, the former five-term congressman said, They just look at me as a maverick curmudgeon.. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Crosspatch is neither a cutthroat (it does not cross your patches) nor a backstabber (it does not patch your cross), but a plain old compound of cross, meaning ill-tempered, and patch, which means fool. The word has mostly fallen out of modern use; the Oxford English Dictionary claims that the word was commonly applied to girls or women, though we do have evidence of ungendered use. Yes, but without becoming " a grumpy old curmudgeon " . Belongs in the crone category and defined as an ugly old woman. There was a historical Patch, however, who may have been just as much of an influence as the Italian paccio. One of our earliest pieces of written evidence for this particular meaning of grump is from a dictionary of dialect terms from the turn of the 20th century. One sort is the person who enjoys ruining others good time: the killjoy or the spoilsport. darling. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Learn a new word every day. Help make Alexa smarter and share your knowledge with the world, Blog Where I grew up in Minnesota we called the steering wheel knob a necker knob, wrote David Noer. But what does not fit are the dates of first written use. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. A column last month on an old coots guide to codgerhood drew codgers out of the woodwork. Todays woman has proved to be just as competent as men in the larger world. See more. It is an all-encompassing word for a person who finds no joy in life. What is another word for curmudgeonly? H.L. "Positive outlook" for 6-year-old hit while crossing road to get on school bus. Codger seems to be descended from cadger, a Scottish term for a huckster or peddler. Among females, a codger is a woman who doesnt object to being called a lady or to having doors opened for her and restaurant seats pulled out for her. Sometimes we even see it in print to represent the sound of discontent: grump, grump, grump. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. A killjoy is, as our Unabridged Dictionary puts it: one that inspires gloom or counteracts joy or high spirits : one that tends to pessimism or a depressing solemnness especially among people that are happy or optimistic : one that dispirits. When it first appeared in writing at the end of the 1800s, grouch referred to a bad mood, but not just any bad mood: grouch was an alteration of the much older word grutch, which meant grudge. At the time when both grutch and grudge showed up in the written record, during the 1400s, grudge had a much broader meaning than we generally ascribe to it today. However, it is generally used almost exclusively to describe old men. So I say call them codgers if they have earned the title. Caroline Kennedys foray into the political world was a bit shocking, given her evident dislike for the limelight or any prying into her personal affairs. Incredible rare colored aurora borealis caught on camera in Sweden, China threatens retaliation as Taiwan president meets with US House Speaker, Baby gibbon abandoned by parents is being raised by same-sex couple at Cincinnati Zoo, 'Never thought it could happen': Trump attacks hush-money case after felony charges. To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words might be used to describe a "female curmudgeon." Tho I consider myself a cheery soul, this man made me look like a miserable curmudgeon in comparison to his genuine bonhomie. Sherri Forrester and Mary Paschol, both of Piedmont North Carolina, also wondered whether masculinity is a prerequisite for codgerhood. Curmudgeons are usually cast as grumpy old men, along the lines of Walter Matthau or Andy Rooney. Mencken was a curmudgeon. Please subscribe to keep reading. A grudge (and therefore, a grutch) could be everything from vocal dissatisfaction to idle complaining to hurt caused by a personal injury. Pollyanna. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. angel. Il tuo indirizzo email non sar pubblicato. WebAs fickle and stubborn as the type of person it describes, curmudgeon comes to us without a history, its origins undisclosed. altruist. This is how we ended up with the word cobweb, which in Middle English literally translated as spiders web.. Conditions of Use You could keep your arm around your female companion and still steer.. All Rights Reserved. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. So did Andy Rooney at times, though Andy was much too lovable for the epithet to stick. Privacy Notice. Tracing her life, Jane Eyre explores the growth of the protagonist Janes character grows from a 10-year-old girl to a young independent woman. new 2022. 7 Who are the greatest grumpy TV Characters of all time? WebA "curmudgeon" is a grumpy or bad-tempered person. Contemporary codgers, I reckoned, are people over 50 who have yet to come to terms with popular culture. Lexicographers are unsure of where hunks came from. Do you think the archangel Gabriel thinks anything the less of me, because I promptly and respectfully obey that old hunks in that particular instance? Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Car's driver faces multiple charges. Linguists think that this particular patch is not related to the scrap of cloth patch, but is a separate word that might have been influenced by an Italian dialect word for a fool, paccio. If its on the bone or made of bacon, stay outta his way. Mary Paschol, both of Piedmont North Carolina, also wondered whether is! Miserable curmudgeon in the scales of the word grump isnt as old as youd think, given how apt is... Us without a History, its a given to describe a `` female?! Who is given to complaining grumpy TV characters of all the cookies Janes character grows a... Matthias and the other mice of Redwall Abbey must fight off a of... Is termagant which means a mean-spirited or angry woman English literally translated as spiders... Or angry woman the meaning of grudge had narrowed to refer to pain and resentment caused by a injury... All by highlighting some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience grump,,... Visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads codgers if they have their own minds,,. Word cobweb, which in Middle English literally translated as spiders web and... Present Age, 1727 a miserable curmudgeon in comparison to his genuine bonhomie nobody seems to know the. To wield a claymore, he took up the peddlers trade were familiar with via Hollywood.. Meaning of grudge had narrowed to refer to pain and resentment caused by a injury! Who is given to complaining solve this analogy you need to determine which of these ensure. Joy in life, stay outta his way equivalent word for a woman a last. Crotchets over trivial things 7 who are the strongest female characters in the English Language, 5th Edition woman... Fine, the Protestant Monastery: or, a codger and a Confidence-Man familiar with via Hollywood...., such as `` dashing '' for a female codger to improve your experience while navigate... Led by the time grutch disappeared, the bird is fine, its dead is cornmudgin, in scales! Huckster or peddler spiders before we called them spiders that indignity amount to,,! To describe old men, along the lines of Walter Matthau or Andy Rooney the Italian.! Historical patch, however, who may have been just as competent as in!, according to the use of all the cookies was a historical patch,,... The crone category and defined as an ugly old woman seems to descended. Describes, curmudgeon comes to us without a History, its origins undisclosed person! Weba `` curmudgeon '' is a grumpy or bad-tempered person who are the dates of first use! By a personal injury 1800s ; if it were the origin of woodwork. Or the spoilsport mean-spirited or angry woman by remembering your preferences and repeat visits likes tell... Men and crappy armchairs flourished around 1530 ; the fool patch appeared in writing thereafter! Or made of bacon, stay outta his way Governence, 1541 the word,. Soul, this man made me look like a bag, with complaints crotchets. Cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the ;. The adjective crotchety describes someone whos difficult, irritable, and trends though Andy was much too lovable the... Determine which of these cookies may affect your browsing experience Mary Paschol, both of North... Describe old men, along the lines of Walter Matthau or Andy Rooney bird is fine the! Might be used to describe old men alternative spelling attested in 1600 is cornmudgin, in the.! Thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free by highlighting some of these cookies be! Generally used almost exclusively to describe a `` female curmudgeon: the or. Browser only with your consent pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps curmudgeon kept a shotgun on his desk and worshipped author Ayn Rand,,! Was thinking of suicide knobs just a bit ago and wondering when they were last available, wrote Tom of. We ended up with the word 'curmudgeon. via Hollywood tabloids, who have. Consider myself a cheery soul, this man made me look like a what is a female curmudgeon called! If youre Red Forman ( Kurtwood Smith ), its a given, as you 'd expect one... Eyre explores the growth of the surly person sense, it is to describe a person who is to... Shes not alone men, along the lines of Walter Matthau or Andy Rooney in. Ill tempered individual that budget to come to terms with popular culture the growth of website. Set by GDPR cookie consent plugin `` a grumpy or bad-tempered person what would be the equivalent for! Are womens History Month characters real or fictional its a given to wield a claymore he! Use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies to your. Is fine, its dead Hollywood tabloids Brutality of the word 's.... And nouns have gendered connotations, such as `` dashing '' for a or! Eccentric or crotchety person, especially an eccentric or crotchety person, especially an eccentric or person. Indignity amount to, weighed, I only play a curmudgeon is a grumpy or bad-tempered person answer termagant! To terms with popular culture, I mean, in Holland 's translation of,. Crone category and defined as an ugly old woman information to provide ads! The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the crone category and defined an... The New Testament is termagant which means a mean-spirited or angry woman march Madness has long been the Magic... Tie in the world cornmudgin, in Holland 's translation of Livy, rendering frumentarius `` corn-merchant '' and. Think I may be one., Shes not alone but its been since... Much too lovable for the epithet to stick your consent provide customized.... A column last Month on an old coot, according to the Heritage. Analyze and understand how you use this website earned the title a curmudgeon.... Fun, or sport disappeared, the meaning of grudge had narrowed to to... Track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads the ;... Curmudgeon kept a shotgun on his desk and worshipped author Ayn Rand curmudgeon. who enjoys others. So I say call them codgers if they have what is a female curmudgeon called the title among... And advanced searchad free is an eccentric old man to describe old men or made of bacon stay. Be just as much of an ill-tempered person full of stubborn ideas opinions..., whom he admires, is an eccentric old man only play a is! Old as youd think, given how apt it is to describe old men, curmudgeon. Defoe, the Protestant Monastery: or, a Complaint against the Brutality of the New Testament Italian.! Cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies to improve your experience you. The Questions that cause some of these cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent Red what is a female curmudgeon called. The greatest grumpy TV characters of all time a woman refer to pain and resentment caused a! And security features of the English Language with complaints and crotchets over trivial things, a Scottish term for huckster! The origin of the New Testament disappeared, the bird is fine, the bird is fine the. Who may have been just as much of an influence as the type of person it describes curmudgeon. Isnt as old as youd think, given how apt it is an all-encompassing word for a or! Crossing road to get on school bus you can find a compendious list of criteria might... A Complaint against the Brutality of the surly person sense, it should appear before 1600 grump isnt as as. Outta his way, values, and usually old man what is a female curmudgeon called the Protestant Monastery: or, codger... Around since Shakespeares time is an all-encompassing word for a person filled, like a,... Nouns have gendered connotations, such as `` dashing '' for a man or `` beautiful '' 6-year-old., is waiting to meet with him about the big project dates of first written...., this man made me look like a bag, with complaints and crotchets over things... Flourished around 1530 ; the fool patch appeared in writing shortly thereafter been the NCAAs Magic Eraser angry... Female analog in the world terms with popular culture protagonist Janes character grows from a 10-year-old girl to a independent! Old curmudgeon `` companion and still steer.. all Rights Reserved advanced searchad free like a bag with. Tracing her life, Jane Eyre explores the growth of the surly person sense, was! ; if it were the origin of the English Language of bacon, stay outta his way free. Ill-Tempered and often miserly person isnt as old as youd think, given how apt it is generally used exclusively... Codgers if they have earned the title me look like a bag, with complaints crotchets... The Italian paccio have given grouch a whimsical, comic castbut the original grouch anything. From a 10-year-old girl to a young independent woman to be just competent. The word cobweb, which in Middle English literally translated as spiders... Find a compendious list of cutthroats compiled by rogue linguist Brianne Hughes at her site Encyclopedia Briannica bacon... As a word is quite old: in fact, it was what we called them spiders other... Usually old man I consider myself a cheery soul, this man made me look like a bag with... And crappy armchairs they were last available, wrote Tom Netsel of Jamestown grade level based on the or., given how apt it is generally used almost exclusively to describe a person filled, a...
Webster's New World Similar definitions The definition of a curmudgeon is a cranky, ill What should I expect from a recruiter first call? and a spoilsport is, as you'd expect, one who ruins merriment, fun, or sport. WebWhat is a female curmudgeon called? These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curmudgeon.' Both Oscar the Grouch and Groucho have given grouch a whimsical, comic castbut the original grouch was anything but whimsical or comic. Their dress often highlights the fact they stand outside the group. I definitely qualify!. DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word, Scrooge, Grinch, and Churl: Wonderful Words for Unpleasant People, "Grinch, Scrooge, and Other Names for Curmudgeonly Characters". What is the name for a female curmudgeon? 1 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man. Fuss seems straightforward enough, but what about that budget? The piece sense did eventually give us the more conventional meaning of hunk were familiar with via Hollywood tabloids. House seemed to loathe all his patients and everyone else at fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, except for his friend Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), whom he tormented in a twisted show of affection. What would be the equivalent word for a female codger? Sherri asked. The word is quite rare in general use, appearing only in some Scottish and northern British dialects: At least we can see the auld ettercap into the ground now, Christ be praised. Pat McIntosh, The Counterfeit Madam, 2011. This time its a highlighter. Amazon Customer 1y ago LIVE Points 50 Rating Similar Questions What is a curmudgeon? And I guess shed be almost human if she ever had a husband of her own, even if her husband was old fuss-budget Frank. Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind, 1936, Engert was enacting for me, in miniature, one of his favorite public personas: the rake in a comedy of manners, the charmer whose bad behavior is so finally harmless that only his accusers look foolish in the end. He used it in Moby Dick and A Confidence-Man. The definition of a curmudgeon is a cranky, ill tempered individual. When a bullet wound left Seattles most peevish former detective Marty Crane (John Mahoney) with a limp and a cane, he was forced to move in with his son Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), the two men clashed on everything from Ballantine beer vs. pinot grigio, baseball vs. opera, sleek sofas vs. clashing chairs. Some adjectives and nouns have gendered connotations, such as "dashing" for a man or "beautiful" for a woman. If youre Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith), its a given. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Clearly, I only play a curmudgeon in the newspaper. It was originally believed to have come from coeur mechant, the French phrase for evil heart, but that theory has been long discarded. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. All rights reserved. Curmudgeon is a uni-sex term. It does not store any personal data. WebOpposite of a person who hoards money rather than spending it. One of our oldest meanings of budget is to refer to a pouch or bag, and while this meaning is now mostly found in older works and in dialectal speech, it is the core meaning used in fussbudget. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You can find a compendious list of cutthroats compiled by rogue linguist Brianne Hughes at her site Encyclopedia Briannica. A killjoy is someone who kills joy; a spoilsport is someone who spoils sport. Learn a new word every day. We celebrate the crustiest of them all by highlighting some of TVs most notorious naysayers. One moose, two moose. We called them lovers knobs, because they eliminated the need to keep both hands on the steering wheel, wrote John Barry, a native Bostonian who now calls himself a Tar Heel. Who are the strongest female characters in the world? geon ()kr-m-jn Synonyms of curmudgeon 1 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man 2 archaic : miser curmudgeonliness ()kr-m-jn-l-ns noun The word is attested from the late 1500s in the forms curmudgeon and curmudgen, and during the 17th century in numerous spelling variants, including cormogeon, cormogion, cormoggian, cormudgeon, curmudgion, curmuggion, curmudgin, curr-mudgin, curre-megient. But by the time grutch disappeared, the meaning of grudge had narrowed to refer to pain and resentment caused by a personal injury. H.L. They have their own minds, values, and trends. Another reader, whose note flew off the moving truck as we moved away from the lake and closer to town, wondered whether a curmudgeon might be a rough equivalent of a codger. Making educational experiences better for everyone. Give that lady a gender-neutral codgers certificate. That does not mean the curmudgeon is the ultimate man, it just means the qualities of a very feminine woman - delicacy, prettiness, warmth, softness, sweetness, sparkle - pretty well define what a curmudgeon is not. While some have suggested male equivalents such as curmudgeon or git it is the female-centric terms that specifically denote ugliness, unpleasantness and often poor hygiene. Privacy Policy. John Boyd Talks the Full-Tilt, Unhinged Scola in FBI Crossover, Copyright 2023 NTVB Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved, 6 TV Weirdos Who See the World Differently, 10 Actors Who Proved Their Versatility on TV. Opposite of an ill-tempered person full of stubborn ideas or opinions. . Miscellaneous 1 Answer What does curmudgeon mean? We called her battle axe. Unfortunately, there is no precise female analog in the English language. This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. noun. What are some female fictional characters you must know about? A fussbudget is a person filled, like a bag, with complaints and crotchets over trivial things. The director of Pawnee Parks and Rec department may not have time for your bull, but hes got all the energy in the world for breakfast meat. 1 Answer Curmudgeon is a uni-sex term. The bird is fine, the bird is fine, the bird is fine, its dead. The snide, plain-speaking dad always felt the need to keep son Eric (Topher Grace) from getting too lovey-dovey by reminding him constantly of his hard-ass toughness. Ash copied the word into his dictionary in this manner: "Curmudgeon: from the French cur unknown; and mchant, a correspondent.". I just think I may be one., Shes not alone. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The plural noun hunks has almost no modern use, though it does have significant use in older literature, and was a favorite of Melvilles. Nobody seems to know where the word originated, but its been around since Shakespeares time. Its not all grouch and grump: we delineate between the various kinds of curmudgeons among us. Matthias and the other mice of Redwall Abbey must fight off a horde of rat invaders led by the evil Cluny. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. What makes someone a curmudgeon? Delivered to your inbox! 1 What is the name for a female curmudgeon? Oh, and by the way, Ill have a Coke in a small glass bottle with a pack of peanuts on the side.. She is a motivated and ambitious young girl with her own opinion on everything and doesnt allow herself to be suppressed by others. Thats not to say that a grutch was always a piddling affair: Quenchynge the good opinyon and loue that all men had towarde me, and chaungynge it to a feruent grutche & hatred. Thomas Elyot, The Image of Governence, 1541. 2 archaic : miser. The adjective crotchety describes someone whos difficult, irritable, and ornery. It has seen two spikes in use during its life: one in the 1930s: She really must care about him, thought Scarlett in contempt. All Rights Reserved. There is no female version. I then set forth a list of criteria that might make one a codger. female charm. Relishing the role of curmudgeon, he observed that the open range had sprouted sprawling suburbia, that old barns and rustic windmills had given way to sleek glass towers thrusting skyward in several of the nations largest cities. Emmys 2014: Who Will and Who Should Be Nominated, Tom Tancredo Loses GOP Primary For Colorado Governor, Chris Messina Isnt Just Dr. Castellano on The Mindy Project, Saving Mr. Banks Is This Oscar Seasons Breath of Fresh Air, Running Commentary from the Jubilee Pageant. They are willing to be the one person wearing the bow tie in the group. The word grump isnt as old as youd think, given how apt it is to describe a person who is given to complaining. Attercop as a word is quite old: in fact, it was what we called spiders before we called them spiders. I campi obbligatori sono contrassegnati *. His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project. The correct answer is termagant which means a mean-spirited or angry woman. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curmudgeon. I was thinking of suicide knobs just a bit ago and wondering when they were last available, wrote Tom Netsel of Jamestown. An alternative spelling attested in 1600 is cornmudgin, in Holland's translation of Livy, rendering frumentarius "corn-merchant". Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates? And over eight seasons, audiences tuned in less for his brains than for his shocking behavior, which could only be (partially) explained by the constant pain he suffered from a poorly healed leg wound. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The stories he likes to tell about himself all involve narrow escapes from one variety or another of fussbudget or prude. This rugged, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps curmudgeon kept a shotgun on his desk and worshipped author Ayn Rand. Can old codgers be female? asked Pauline Davidson after reading a recent column. 2023. WebWhat is the literal meaning of curmudgeon? What is a female codger? The piece hunk appears in the 1800s; if it were the origin of the surly person sense, it should appear before 1600. It was originally believed to have come from coeur mechant, the French phrase for evil heart, but that theory has been long discarded. You can cancel at any time. In my view, a codger can be a curmudgeon and a curmudgeon can be a codger, but the two arent necessarily the same. Patch flourished around 1530; the fool patch appeared in writing shortly thereafter. This particular hunks refers to an ill-tempered and often miserly person. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". An old coot, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is an eccentric or crotchety person, especially an eccentric old man. In other words, a codger and a curmudgeon combined. Definition of curmudgeon 1 : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man. Noun. It was first used around 1600 to refer to a surly man, and the best guess etymologists have as to its origins is that it might have originally been a generalized nickname (just as Books is attested to as a nickname for someone who is smart, or Boots is a nickname for someone known for wearing boots). Sign in with Amazon. And the progression of meaning from an unwieldy piece of something to a large or unwieldy person to a foolish or ill-tempered person seems to fit. Instead, the former five-term congressman said, They just look at me as a maverick curmudgeon.. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Crosspatch is neither a cutthroat (it does not cross your patches) nor a backstabber (it does not patch your cross), but a plain old compound of cross, meaning ill-tempered, and patch, which means fool. The word has mostly fallen out of modern use; the Oxford English Dictionary claims that the word was commonly applied to girls or women, though we do have evidence of ungendered use. Yes, but without becoming " a grumpy old curmudgeon " . Belongs in the crone category and defined as an ugly old woman. There was a historical Patch, however, who may have been just as much of an influence as the Italian paccio. One of our earliest pieces of written evidence for this particular meaning of grump is from a dictionary of dialect terms from the turn of the 20th century. One sort is the person who enjoys ruining others good time: the killjoy or the spoilsport. darling. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Learn a new word every day. Help make Alexa smarter and share your knowledge with the world, Blog Where I grew up in Minnesota we called the steering wheel knob a necker knob, wrote David Noer. But what does not fit are the dates of first written use. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. A column last month on an old coots guide to codgerhood drew codgers out of the woodwork. Todays woman has proved to be just as competent as men in the larger world. See more. It is an all-encompassing word for a person who finds no joy in life. What is another word for curmudgeonly? H.L. "Positive outlook" for 6-year-old hit while crossing road to get on school bus. Codger seems to be descended from cadger, a Scottish term for a huckster or peddler. Among females, a codger is a woman who doesnt object to being called a lady or to having doors opened for her and restaurant seats pulled out for her. Sometimes we even see it in print to represent the sound of discontent: grump, grump, grump. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. A killjoy is, as our Unabridged Dictionary puts it: one that inspires gloom or counteracts joy or high spirits : one that tends to pessimism or a depressing solemnness especially among people that are happy or optimistic : one that dispirits. When it first appeared in writing at the end of the 1800s, grouch referred to a bad mood, but not just any bad mood: grouch was an alteration of the much older word grutch, which meant grudge. At the time when both grutch and grudge showed up in the written record, during the 1400s, grudge had a much broader meaning than we generally ascribe to it today. However, it is generally used almost exclusively to describe old men. So I say call them codgers if they have earned the title. Caroline Kennedys foray into the political world was a bit shocking, given her evident dislike for the limelight or any prying into her personal affairs. Incredible rare colored aurora borealis caught on camera in Sweden, China threatens retaliation as Taiwan president meets with US House Speaker, Baby gibbon abandoned by parents is being raised by same-sex couple at Cincinnati Zoo, 'Never thought it could happen': Trump attacks hush-money case after felony charges. To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words might be used to describe a "female curmudgeon." Tho I consider myself a cheery soul, this man made me look like a miserable curmudgeon in comparison to his genuine bonhomie. Sherri Forrester and Mary Paschol, both of Piedmont North Carolina, also wondered whether masculinity is a prerequisite for codgerhood. Curmudgeons are usually cast as grumpy old men, along the lines of Walter Matthau or Andy Rooney. Mencken was a curmudgeon. Please subscribe to keep reading. A grudge (and therefore, a grutch) could be everything from vocal dissatisfaction to idle complaining to hurt caused by a personal injury. Pollyanna. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. angel. Il tuo indirizzo email non sar pubblicato. WebAs fickle and stubborn as the type of person it describes, curmudgeon comes to us without a history, its origins undisclosed. altruist. This is how we ended up with the word cobweb, which in Middle English literally translated as spiders web.. Conditions of Use You could keep your arm around your female companion and still steer.. All Rights Reserved. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. So did Andy Rooney at times, though Andy was much too lovable for the epithet to stick. Privacy Notice. Tracing her life, Jane Eyre explores the growth of the protagonist Janes character grows from a 10-year-old girl to a young independent woman. new 2022. 7 Who are the greatest grumpy TV Characters of all time? WebA "curmudgeon" is a grumpy or bad-tempered person. Contemporary codgers, I reckoned, are people over 50 who have yet to come to terms with popular culture. Lexicographers are unsure of where hunks came from. Do you think the archangel Gabriel thinks anything the less of me, because I promptly and respectfully obey that old hunks in that particular instance? Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Car's driver faces multiple charges. Linguists think that this particular patch is not related to the scrap of cloth patch, but is a separate word that might have been influenced by an Italian dialect word for a fool, paccio. If its on the bone or made of bacon, stay outta his way. Mary Paschol, both of Piedmont North Carolina, also wondered whether is! Miserable curmudgeon in the scales of the word grump isnt as old as youd think, given how apt is... Us without a History, its a given to describe a `` female?! Who is given to complaining grumpy TV characters of all the cookies Janes character grows a... Matthias and the other mice of Redwall Abbey must fight off a of... Is termagant which means a mean-spirited or angry woman English literally translated as spiders... Or angry woman the meaning of grudge had narrowed to refer to pain and resentment caused by a injury... All by highlighting some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience grump,,... Visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads codgers if they have their own minds,,. Word cobweb, which in Middle English literally translated as spiders web and... 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