codger

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Possibly derived from cadger (hawker).[1] Or abbreviation of coffin dodger, but this is likely to be a folk etymology.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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codger (plural codgers)

  1. (informal) An amusingly eccentric or grumpy and usually elderly man.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:old man
    • 2016, 27:21 from the start, in The Night Manager, season 1, episode 4, spoken by Richard "Dicky" Onslow Roper (Hugh Laurie):
      Jed, darling. The old codgers need to talk. Andrew's going to buy you a drink in that beautiful bar up on the terrace.
    • 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 418:
      Now I was a forsaken codger snuffling disgracefully from a beautiful floozy's abuse.
    • 1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby:
      ‘I haven’t been drinking your health, my codger,’ replied Mr. Squeers; ‘so you have nothing to do with that.’

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Michael Quinion (1996–2024) “Cadge”, in World Wide Words.