By Lois E. Wilson
The word is “cantankerous.” I looked it up on the internet and in my dictionaries. It is thought by some to be Middle English and may be the result of combining the words contentious + rancorous. It is a word which I had heard years before but rarely, if ever used. Contentious is defined as causing or likely to cause an argument; rancorous is being characterized by bitterness or resentment.
One definition of cantankerous is “A person who is bad-tempered, grumpy, quarrelsome, and looking for an argument.” The word is also frequently applied to the elderly.
Some examples are: A person greets another with a warm “Good morning.” The response to this is a gruff, “What’s good about it?”
Someone turns your way and begins talking. The room is noisy; you believe they are talking to you, so you begin to respond. The person chastises you, points, and nastily says, “I wasn’t speaking to you; I was speaking to her!” You feel like answering, “Well pardon me!”
For example, one time I was served a pizza with a large rounded crust edge. I commented, “I’ve never had a pizza with a stuffed cheese crust before.” A person asked, “What? You’ve never had pizza with cheese on it before?” I tried vainly to explain the stuffed crust pizzas advertised on TV.
People like this often dispute any message, numbers, questions, or what you know to be fact. They are quick to assign shortcomings to you. They can have you believing you are stupid.
You begin to ask yourself, “What is going on?” Are these people trying to start a fight?” I was convinced the answer was “yes” until I remembered the word “cantankerous.” It explains all of their frequent and negative actions.
My conclusion is I know I make mistakes; however, I usually am not stupid. I’ll try to temper my reactions to any person who implies I am.
However, I am elderly and a retired teacher. With this type of person, it is my inclination for both of us to learn from each other. Perhaps we can declare peace between us.
Call me what you will; but you can bet I’ll make an effort in my old age not to become cantankerous. How about you?