the.com/cranky
a mood that turns small annoyances into formal grievances against the universe.
means Easily irritated, ill-tempered, or out of sorts, often over minor things.
from From 'crank,' a word with a knot of old senses. The German 'krank' means sick, and the English 'crank' once meant a bend, twist, or zigzag — so a 'cranky' temper is literally a crooked, twisted one. The same root that gives us the machine's crank (a bent handle you turn) gives us the mood: something out of true, not running straight. By the 19th century 'cranky' had settled into meaning peevish and difficult, a person wound a little too tight.
- old engine
- named for the hand crank that kicked back and broke arms
- low fuel
- hunger and bad sleep are its favorite accomplices
- baby tongue
- colicky infants get labeled cranky worldwide
- crooked roots
- linked to words meaning bent, twisted, and out of joint
walter matthau — actor famous for playing irritable characters in films like grumpy old men (1993)
grandpa simpson — fictional character in the simpsons known for constant complaining and grouchiness since 1989
gordon ramsay — chef notorious for explosive anger and sharp criticism on hell's kitchen and kitchen nightmares