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Where did the word curmudgeon come from?

By Sophia Dalton

Where did the word curmudgeon come from?

It was originally believed to have come from coeur mechant, the French phrase for “evil heart,” but that theory has been long discarded. Don’t worry though, you’ll know a curmudgeon when you see one: He’ll be ill-tempered and miserly, eager to shake his fist and spout disagreeable opinions.

What does curmudgeon mean in Scottish?

archaic: a grasping, avaricious man: Miser. The American meaning may be as old, if not older, than “miser.” Walter W. Skeat compared curmudgeon with Lowland Scots murgeon “mock, grumble” and mudgeon “grimace.” Both words fit the idea of a peevish, disgruntled man well.

Where did the word origin come from?

The origin of the word origin is the Latin word originem, meaning “rise, beginning, or source.”

When was the word curmudgeon first used?

1568
The first known use of curmudgeon was in 1568 With the passing of “60 Minutes” commentator Andy Rooney …

Is codger a bad word?

Word forms: codgers Old codger is a disrespectful way of referring to an old man.

Can a woman be a curmudgeon?

Curmudgeons are usually cast as grumpy old men, along the lines of Walter Matthau or Andy Rooney. The truth is that they can be any gender or any age, though.

Where did the word paramedic originate from?

1650s, “physician; medical student,” from Latin medicus “physician” (see medical (adj.)); modern sense of “serviceman in a military medical corps” is recorded by 1925.

Can a woman be a codger?

Among females, a codger is a woman who doesn’t object to being called a lady or to having doors opened for her and restaurant seats pulled out for her. She prefers “Miss” or “Mrs.” to “Ms.”

What does geezer mean?

1 US, informal, humorous or mildly disparaging : an odd, eccentric, or unreasonable person (usually a man) especially : an old man an old geezer It may suggest only that the offender is … a geezer perhaps, too old and set in his ways to know what’s new in the world. —

What is the opposite of a curmudgeon?

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms curmudgeon. Antonyms: trump, good fellow, brick. Synonyms: miscreant, wretch, rascal, churl, ill-conditioned fellow.

Is curmudgeon a real word?

The word curmudgeon is an old one, originating in the 1570s, but where it comes from is unknown. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word may be “an extended sense of grum ‘morose, surly,'” which is probably related to the Danish grum, “cruel.”