fogey

English

Alternative forms

• fogy
• fogie

Etymology

Borrowed from Scots foggie, fogie (noun), perhaps derived from Scots foggie (“covered with moss or lichen; mossy”, adj), from Scots fog (“moss; lichen”), equivalent to fog (“moss”) +‎ -y. Further origin uncertain. More at fog.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfoʊɡi/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfəʊɡi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: (General American) -oʊɡi, (Received Pronunciation) -əʊɡi

Noun

fogey (plural fogies or fogeys)

1. A dull person (especially an older man) who is behind the times, holding antiquated, over-conservative views.

   Synonym: old fogey

   • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 45, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

     [T]he old fogies, as you call them, at Bays’s, are some of the first gentlemen in England, of whom you youngsters had best learn a little manners, and a little breeding, and a little modesty.

Usage notes

Usually preceded by old, compare old fogey.

Derived terms

• fogeydom
• fogeyhood
• fogeyish
• fogeyism
• young fogey
• old fogey

Translations

dull old fellow

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 老頑固／老顽固 (zh) (lǎowángù), 老糊塗／老糊涂 (zh) (lǎohútu), 古董 (zh) (gǔdǒng)

• Czech: suchar (cs) m, šosák (cs) m
• Dutch: oude zeur, sok (nl), ouderwets iemand, fossiel (nl) n
• Finnish: fossiili (fi), jäärä (fi), vanha jäärä, kalkkis (fi)
• French: baderne (fr) f, barbon (fr) m
• Hungarian: vénember (hu), tata (hu)
• Italian: mummia (it) f, parruccone m, matusa (it) m
• Polish: moherowy beret (pl) m, stary pryk m, leśny dziadek (pl) m
• Russian: старый пень m (staryj penʹ), динозавр (ru) m (dinozavr)
• Spanish: carcamal (es)
• Swedish: stofil (sv) c