Im kind of glad her brief foray into politics didnt work out. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! 2010 - 2022, Amazon.com, inc. or its affiliates. Sometimes even curmudgeons are made to be social, at weddings and Christmas parties and things like that where everyone is invited and not showing up would associate you with some foolish young people who are slackers. Additionally, learn to have your own ideas and values, instead of just going along with the group. The ideal curmudgeon is retired. 1 Answer ANSWER Linguistically, she would be called maitresse d'. (used as an expression of regret, sorrow, dismay, or disapproval.). If the dog itself is too scary, people will pay attention to the dog rather than the owner. With their own unique flair and pizzazz, curmudgeons will occupy the center stage with humor or sarcasm. However, the earliest use of this word is sometimes defined as characteristic of one who often says Lackaday! Proper curmudgeonly behavior fits in well with what a typical man is inclined to do, and not with what a typical woman is inclined to do (such as talk, write, or otherwise communicate.) Of course, if you have the job protection tenure affords, you can afford to risk being contrary to people in power. They might quietly admire each other, and publicly insult each other, but they know each other's qualities too well to have any intention of living with each other. Caroline Kennedy's foray into the political world was a bit shocking, given her evident dislike for the limelight or any prying into her personal affairs. Cramp your style. Do not smell! The old Winston Churchill quote comes to mind: You have enemies? To become a curmudgeon, youll need to develop a more serious, introspective personality, since curmudgeons are not known for being joyful or vibrant. Work up some good short stories that tell about interesting experiences you've had or people you've known. 2023 Carol Cassara. What is the opposite of a curmudgeon? A lackey can also be a servant who wears a uniform, like a butler, doorman, or valet. Privacy Policy. A. Milne, not necessarily Disneybut demonstrating that the right attitude can make a curmudgeon even out of something as cute as a stuffed animal), Beethoven (so keep in mind that today's curmudgeon could be considered a genius by a later generation who doesn't actually have to know him in person - and that later generation will consider today's generation unintelligent and boorish for having disliked the curmudgeon! Your email address will not be published. Lackadaisy is a webcomic created by artist Tracy J. Butler. In this case, 89% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Lazy implies the deliberate avoidance of work in order to spare oneself effort. When you say it, people should look taken aback or even offended. Curmudgeons are not team players, bridge-builders, or compromisers. They are willing to tick everyone off to voice their stance on an issue, even if they become unpopular as a result. But probably all crackpots and curmudgeons admire each other. Hag, noun. Curmudgeonlys opposites and similar words include affable, companionable, cordial, and extroverted. Help make Alexa smarter on Alexa Answers. It is possible for a curmudgeon to marry, but it does raise questions of whether he is hard enough to live with, if someone is actually putting up with him. Covering a period from the 1600s to the present, they share their needle-sharp points of view on such engaging topics as aging, happiness, sex, marriage, inequality, fashion, life, and death. It's different if you are choosing to be a curmudgeon and are happy in that state (even if you don't show it). All content on the site is subject to intellectual property rights, contractual or other protection. Curmudgeonatrix (a tougher connotation here, informed by words like dominatrix and aviatrix). unease. Lackadaisical implies lack of purpose. A lackey is someone who works for someone else and tries to get ahead by kissing up to his superiors. Thank you for making it clear. Try to be the latter. 1 : arrest, seize apprehend a thief. LAX is also used as a slang word, with the meaning Relaxed (or Relax), and to refer to the sport of lacrosse. Extroverts will probably never make it as a curmudgeon. Hear a word and type it out. "Crusty" is a term often applied to curmudgeons, for good reason. It was originally believed to have come from coeur mechant, the French phrase for evil heart, but that theory has been long discarded. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition. Maybe we should discuss it over tea. He is not particularly trying to offend people, he just sees no point in pleasing them. They should not be able to think of anything to say in return. They have their own minds, values, and trends. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curmudgeon.' She is still considering whether to become a battleaxe or an old biddy. 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. Approved. (And maybe I should look into testosterone meds. What is a female curmudgeon called? The whole point of being a curmudgeon is to appear semi-petrified. Grouchy? Scrooge would be a synonym for "curmudgeon" if it weren't for the end of the story, which just ruins the whole thing. Post more words for curmudgeon to Facebook, Share more words for curmudgeon on Twitter, Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. Answer, 2 1. anxiety, apprehension, nervousness, distress, angst, disquiet, trepidation, uneasiness, sense of foreboding, disquietude He tried to appear casual, but he couldnt conquer his unease. Humanity is of little or no interest to a curmudgeon; what he most desires from others is that they would leave him alone. They might prefer vintage dress. Her apprehension was assuming a reduced priority. Like a curmudgeon, the female equivalent can even be rather lovable, and essential to the character of the neighborhood. Anybody who is always urging you to communicate is obviously someone who hasn't grown up. 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. What does misanthrope mean in literature? Curmudgeons do not go along with the group in order to get along. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference. What's a female curmudgeon called? However, not all definitions of the word are negative. Hag, noun. An alternative spelling attested in 1600 is cornmudgin, in Holland's translation of Livy, rendering frumentarius "corn-merchant". Dana Carvey's character Grumpy Old Man on Saturday Night Live is a curmudgeon. What does it mean to dream that your friend is pregnant? In fact, they will use rules as their key weapon. Many curmudgeons got that way by becoming widowers, so a happily married man can always aspire to curmudgeonliness by outliving his wife. It's certainly necessary for any institution or society to have people willing to say what no one else will. I am a. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a2\/Become-a-Curmudgeon-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Become-a-Curmudgeon-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a2\/Become-a-Curmudgeon-Step-1.jpg\/aid755397-v4-728px-Become-a-Curmudgeon-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"