Word of the Day: Curmudgeon

Curmudgeon: [ker-me-jen]

Part of speech:  noun

Origin:  Unknown, 16^th century

1.  A cranky and unpleasant figure, usually an old man

2.  A miserly person unwilling to share

Examples used in a sentence:

1.  The curmudgeon next door banged on his wall anytime he heard my footsteps.

2.  I don’t want to be a curmudgeon, but would you pick up after your dog?

About Curmudgeon

Believe it or not, the word curmudgeon has been in use for a very long time.  Its origin is unknown, but it begins popping up in English as far back as 1568, though at the time it referred more specifically to someone who was tight with money than a general grump.

Did You Know?

Have a hard time spelling curmudgeon?  Don’t worry, so did everyone else when it was first invented.  Written records from the 17^th century show spellings that include cormogeon, cormoggian, curmudgion, curmuggion, and curre-megient, among others.