Pronunciation: [kɹˈɒt͡ʃɪti] (IPA) 
Crotchety is spelled with eight letters, but only seven sounds. The word is pronounced /ˈkrɒtʃəti/ with a silent "e" at the end. The first "c" is pronounced as "k," the "o" is pronounced as "ah," and the "tch" is pronounced as a single sound /ʧ/. The stress is on the second syllable, and the final "y" is pronounced as /i/. The word means irritable or easily annoyed, which can be a byproduct of old age or infirmity.
The term "crotchety" is an adjective that describes a person's disposition or behavior characterized by irritability, grumpiness, or a tendency to complain frequently and unnecessarily. It refers to someone who is easily annoyed, prone to being argumentative, and often exhibits a disagreeable demeanor.
A crotchety person typically displays a penchant for finding faults or flaws in virtually everything and tends to express dissatisfaction or discontent regularly. They may be overly sensitive or touchy, reacting strongly to minor inconveniences or trivial matters. They often voice their discontent and seem to derive pleasure from criticizing or berating others. This behavior is often accompanied by a distinct lack of patience and tolerance for differing opinions or viewpoints.
A crotchety individual may clash with others due to their habitually prickly nature and tendency to be confrontational. Their disposition can cast a shadow of negativity, making interactions difficult and cumbersome. Such a person may habitually grumble, be unresponsive to friendly gestures or attempts at conversation, and always appear dissatisfied or disgruntled.
In short, "crotchety" represents a state of chronic irritability, characterized by a disagreeable and grumpy demeanor, reflecting a personality that is prone to complaining, disagreement, and a general negative outlook on life.
Having a changeable tendency to fix the mind too exclusively on one object; whimsical.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "crotchety" is believed to have originated in the early 19th century in England. It is derived from the noun "crotchet", which originally referred to a musical note with a stemmed hook, similar to a quarter note in modern notation. The hook of the crotchet was said to resemble a bent or twisted object.
Over time, "crotchet" began to be used metaphorically to describe a person with strange or eccentric behavior, eventually leading to the adjective "crotchety". It came to describe someone who was fussy, irritable, or easily annoyed, possibly reflecting the idea of a twisted or bent behavior.
The term "crotchet" itself has a separate etymology, originating from the Old French word "croc", meaning hook.
