codger

IPA/ˈkɒdʒə(r)/
IPA/ˈkɑːdʒər/

codger — noun

  • codgersingular
  • codgersplural

1. an older man that people describe as a bit odd, stubborn, or amusing.

1.nounC2
Definition

an older man that people describe as a bit odd, stubborn, or amusing.

Example

Everyone on Cedar Street knew the codger who fixed clocks in his shed.

the + codger for a familiar local character

At the bus stop, Defne laughed when the codger fed crumbs to pigeons.

concrete public scene showing mildly amusing behaviour

Common collocations
  • old codger
  • funny old codger
  • grumpy old codger
  • that codger next door
Synonyms
  • geezer

    informal like codger, but can sound rougher or more British in tone

  • old-timer

    often warmer and more affectionate, with less emphasis on odd behaviour

  • crank

    stronger focus on bad temper or fixed opinions, not on age alone

  • eccentric

    focuses on unusual behaviour and can describe people of any age

Grammar Patterns

an old codger

that codger next door

Usage Note

Usually appears with old, funny, grumpy, or eccentric before it. The word is informal and often mildly rude, though friends or family may use it teasingly about an older man they know well.

Common Mistakes

The codger woman yelled at the boys from the porch.
The old woman yelled at the boys from the porch.
codger refers to an older man, not a woman.
Rina is a codger manager at the office.
Rina is a grumpy manager at the office.
codger is a noun, not an adjective placed before another noun.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Codger is an informal label for an older man who feels a little odd, stubborn, or amusing. Geezer is close in informality, but it can sound rougher and, in some varieties of English, more casual than codger. Old-timer is usually kinder: it often highlights long experience or age without suggesting bad temper. Crank is sharper and more negative, stressing complaints, fixed views, or irritation; a crank can be young, so age is not central there. Eccentric focuses on unusual habits or style rather than age. You might laugh at a codger who repairs clocks in his shed, ask an old-timer about the town's history, avoid a crank who argues with everyone, and admire an eccentric artist for living differently.

geezer ↗old-timer ↗crank ↗eccentric ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • old codger
  • funny old codger
  • grumpy old codger

Adjectives