curmudgeon
curmudgeon (ker-mùj´en) noun An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions.
[Origin unknown.] - curmudg´eonly adjective - curmudg´eonry noun
Word History: The etymology of the word curmudgeon has eluded us for at least two centuries, although some lexicographers have thought the solution was at hand, one to his embarrassment. When Samuel Johnson stated in his famous dictionary of 1755 that curmugeon "is a vicious manner of pronouncing cœur méchant, Fr. an unknown correspondent," he was giving credit to an anonymous writer for the statement that curmudgeon came from French cœur, "heart," and méchant, "evil." Another lexicographer, John Ash, following in Johnson's tracks though none too carefully, gave the etymology a bit differently in his dictionary of 1775: "from the French cœur unknown, and mechant a correspondent"; thus misinterpreting Johnson's attribution as a gloss for the French. Although its origin is unknown, curmudgeon has been around for some time, being first recorded in a work published in 1577.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from INSO Corporation; further reproduction and distribution restricted in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.
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Cotty wrote:
On 11/2/04, [EMAIL PROTECTED] disgorged:
I didn't realize I was the list curmudgeon. Is that official?
My old Pocket Oxford defines a curmudgeon as a 'churl or a miser'.
Cheers, Cotty
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