Crotchety
Doug asked about the
word crotchety. It is frequently—and unfairly—applied to an old person, and it
means cranky and bristly.
Synonyms include
bad-tempered, cantankerous, choleric, crabby, cross, crusty, curmudgeonly,
fractious, grumpy, grouchy, ill-tempered, ill-humored, ill-natured, irascible,
irritable, ornery, peevish, pettish, petulant, prickly, short-tempered,
snappish, tetchy, testy, touchy, and waspish.
It came into Middle
English from the French word crochet,
a hook. Through the years, crochet referred to various hook-shaped or hook-like
devices:
·
A small
device used for fastening things
·
A surgical
instrument
·
A tool used
to reap
·
A device
used by porters to carry parcels
·
Animal or
insect claws
·
A peculiar
notion
·
A fanciful
literary device
·
A battle
array
So, it’s as if a
crotchety person is being jabbed or pricked, and is therefore irritable and
difficult to approach.
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also find about a month’s worth of podcasts there under The Ron Jolly Show.
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