January 29th is Curmudgeons Day, a chance to celebrate those in your life who are described by the Oxford Dictionary as “bad-tempered people, generally old.”
You may be thinking that being a curmudgeon is not something to celebrate but you are wrong! According to this dictionary definition, a curmudgeon is someone who has an annoying personality trait that others find off-putting or difficult to deal with. A person can also be described as being ‘grumpy’ or ‘pessimistic’ which are similar personality traits.
There are many famous examples of real life curmudgeons including Winston Churchill (who said “I am fond of pigs – dogs look up to us; cats look down on us; but pigs treat us as equals”), Bill Gates (who said “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job because then he makes sure it’s done right) and Mark Zuckerberg (who said “The biggest risk is not taking any risks… In a world that changing really quickly” ).
The word “curmudgeon” comes from the French term “comme un merdeux” which means like a maggot. The first known use of the word was in 1733, when it was used to describe someone who was grumpy and difficult to please.
The word “curmudgeon” is often used to describe someone who is grouchy and crotchety. A curmudgeon can be described as a person who has an annoying personality trait that others find off-putting or difficult to deal with.
