cantankerosity

English

Etymology

From cantanker(ous) +‎ -osity.

Noun

cantankerosity (countable and uncountable, plural cantankerosities)

1. (uncountable) The quality of being cantankerous.

   Synonym: cantankerousness

   • 1856, Defence of Massachusetts. Speech of Hon. Anson Burlingame, of Massachusetts, in the United States House of Representatives, June 21, 1856., Cambridge, Mass.: Printed for private distribution, pages 21–22:

     Sir, the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Keitt] made a speech, and if I may be allowed to coin a word, I will say it had more cantankerosity in it than any speech I ever heard on this floor.

   • 1871 September, Hester Earle, ““With what Measure ye Mete.””, in Ballou’s Monthly Magazine, volume XXXIV, number 3 (whole 201), part third, chapter VII (Filling the Vacancy), page 222, column 1:

     “This is a case for phlebotomy.” / “I’ll phlebotomize you!” retorted Vie, irascibly. / “Worse and worse Strong indications of internal cantankerosity, requiring an immediate application of Croton oil and ipecacuanha, infused in an oyster stew, to be superseded by a nicotine fumigation.

   • 1880 December, “On Angularities and Cantankerousness”, in London Society. An Illustrated Magazine of Light and Amusing Literature for the Hours of Relaxation., volume XXXVIII, number CCXXVIII, London: […], pages 538–540:

     The French philosophers call this transcendental, but a simpler and more befitting name is that of cantankerosity. […] A curious case of peculiar cantankerosity is related by Nordenskold in the account of one of his wonderful voyages. […] To have the means of prosperous wholesome life in hand, and to prefer the favourite diet that would certainly kill, is surely an instance of moral cantankerosity as much as the man who, according to Mr. Samuel Weller’s legend, ate the three shillingsworth of muffins and blew his brains out. […] I humbly think that this is a case of mental cantankerosity.

   • 1881 January 15, Sacramento Daily Record-Union, volume XII, number 126, Sacramento, Calif., page [7], column 3:

     It is a sad and astounding fact to relate, but even in literary life we meet with instances of cantankerosity.

   • 1883 February 3, The Academy. A Weekly Review of Literature, Science, and Art., volume XXIII, number 561, London: Publishing Office: […], page 77, column 2:

     But we cannot disguise from ourselves that the actual course of events at the time was greatly influenced by Mr. Tayler’s “cantankerosity.”

   • 1885 August 29, “Voices from the Interior”, in The Wasp, San Francisco, Calif., page 3, column 1:

     The bald-headed snoozer who has been working the physic racket in this metropolis for some six weeks under the nom de syringe of Dr. Hanson has a bad case of cantankerosity of the disposition, and the disease does not appear to yield to any of his ordinary methods of malpractice.

   • 1889, the Wandering Tyke [pseudonym], “Glad-par-stonell-iana:” or "The Gladstoneries”: A Political Valentine, or Chronicle, Containing a Full and Complete Account of the Grand Old Nationalists Breaking-Up Party Given at Hawarden Castle on the 14th February, 1889, and of the Numerous Parodies, Topical Songs, Recitations, Political Hits and Sundry Skits Recited, Sung and Made Thereat, London: Waterlow and Sons Limited, […], page 23:

     My Lords and Gentlemen—I am over-joyed to find such an important assembly—It had been my intention to have delighted your ears with an elaborate dissertation upon things in general, and to have entered into an analytical enquiry into the cause of the General Cussedness and Cantankerosity of things from pre-historic times until the present year of Grace, or rather Disgrace.

   • 1898 December, John S. Van Cleve, “Americanism in Musical Art”, in W. S. B. Mathews, editor, Music. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and Literature of Music., volume XV, Chicago, Ill.: Music Magazine Publishing Company, […], published 1899, page 124:

     Of the whimsical manifestations of our national spirit countless anecdotes make mention in the boastfulness and general cantankerosity of the American tourist.

   • 1899 March 31, “Handsome Harry Against His Own Country; or, Two to One”, in Handsome Harry: Stories of Land and Sea, number 10, New York, N.Y., page 8, column 1:

     “Bill knows it, sir,” continued Cutten; “he’s borne as much as I have, and barring a little cantankerosity, he’s a manly friend.”

   • 1899 November 25, Social Democratic Herald, volume II, number 23 (whole 73), Chicago, Ill., page 1, column 3:

     And the most unpromising specimen of conservative cantankerosity may be the best subject for your socialist chisel.

   • 1940, Nigel Tranter, Harsh Heritage, Edinburgh: B&W Publishing, published 1996, →ISBN, page 127:

     Me, cantankerous? Man, if you want to see a picture of cantankerosity, go you up to the gunroom there, and take a look at that cross-grained old devil.

   • 1989 February, Foster L. Smith, “Report from the Classes”, in Assembly, volume XLVII, number 5, West Point, N.Y.: The Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy, page 71, column 1:

     Certainly Johnny is lucky; how many guys have a medic who will stay with him 24 hrs daily, wait on him hand and foot, put up with his cantankerosity and, if he’s halfway civil, maybe give him a hug before bedtime?

   • 1989 November 30, Chuck Thomas, “‘Scrooge’: Encore’s musical Christmas card”, in The Ventura County Star☆Free Press, 112th year, number 9, page 11, column 2:

     His cantankerosity is delightfully illustrated by the instinctive rhymes in “Humbug,” his first song: “St. Nicholas? Ridiculous! Humanity? Insanity!”

   • 1993 May 19, Melinda Shore, “SF Gay Parade and a questions.^[sic]”, in soc.motss (Usenet):

     >I think we're generally willing to put up with more cantankerousness
     >from people who are saying stuff that we generally agree with than
     >from people who are saying things we don't agree with.
     Probably true, although I find that another factor that makes me feel better about somebody else's cantankerosity is when that person is showing some sign of cognitive activity, whether I agree with that person or not. One of the primary reasons that Bil is being pilloried is that he's being just plain dumb.

   • 1994 June 5, Kurt N. Kross, “Put boozers in their own section!”, in The Province, Vancouver, B.C., page A22, column 1:

     But you gripers certainly had your heads in gear last week. Here are some samples of your creative cantankerosity: […]

   • 1995 July 24, rct...@vms.cis.pitt.edu, “Pick of the Brown Bag: July 20 (long, again)”, in rec.arts.comics.info (Usenet):

     Jerry Ordway adds cantankerosity to the wizard making him a valuable piece of comedy relief, not that SHAZAM! is a heavy book.

   • 1996 October 10, Ron Petrie, “Jolt of age awareness from the comics”, in The Leader-Post, Regina, Sask., page A3, column 2:

     Of all the signs of male aging — pattern baldness, a zip-a-dee-do-dah that’s pretty much zapped and deedled-out, general cantankerosity — this one stung the most: Soon I’ll be older than Hi.

   • 1998 May 8, Dgranoct12, “Could Electrons be alive?”, in alt.prophecies.nostradamus (Usenet):

     Not only are electrons alive, but they are female. You can tell because of their cantankerosity, which is higher than that of any other elementary particle. The only other being with an equavalent^[sic] value of cantankerosity is the human female.

   • 1999 January 27, noyz...@my-dejanews.com, “Sea Gulls as Pets”, in rec.pets.birds (Usenet):

     > >no such thing as a seagull. There are many different "gulls" but no
     > "sea"gull.
     >
     > The "California Gull" is the state bird of Utah. […]
     You know, you're right. I guess I forgot that, cuz around here, we just call them "those damn gulls." / cheers / Jen in SLC / with a reminder to all that excessive specificity leads to cantankerosity.

   • 1999 November 21, Charles Bollman, “Mariah Carey: Whistle Sound”, in rec.music.opera (Usenet):

     And I must say that the tongue-in-cheek cantankerousness (or should that be cantankerosity? help me out here mr wordysmith!) that you so cleverly work into your notes is an utter delight!

   • 2000 July 15, Frank S, “Test Me! Test Me! Why Don't You Arrest Me?”, in alt.writing (Usenet):

     Is this cantankerosity what we should expect from His Serene Charitableness, Reservoir Of Compassion And Understanding, Hoary Homunculus, Writer Of Writings, […]

   • 2011, Lynn Veach Sadler, Snakes in the Sass, Aquillrelle.com, →ISBN, page 50:

     Rather, he hardscrabbles country wit into cantankerosity.

   • 2019, John Peagh, “A Writer and His Words”, in A Bond of Words: 29 Short Stories, Scout Media, →ISBN, pages 168–169:

     It had become quite an angry exchange when Barudh, one of the oldest characters, had given his cantankerosity a good airing and then accused me of looking threateningly at the eraser on my desk.

   • 2021, Howard White, Here on the Coast: Reflections from the Rainbelt, Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd., →ISBN:

     Jean inherited an ample measure of her mother’s Highland cantankerosity and after a spectacular set-to with my dad, departed the Green Bay camp taking with her the camp’s key piece of equipment, a yarding donkey, and Dad’s erstwhile business partner, Charlie.

2. (rare, countable) Someone or something that is cantankerous.
   • 1880 December, “On Angularities and Cantankerousness”, in London Society. An Illustrated Magazine of Light and Amusing Literature for the Hours of Relaxation., volume XXXVIII, number CCXXVIII, London: […], page 538, column 1:

     His whole life is one prolonged cantankerosity.

   • 1888 October 20, Acus [pseudonym], “Points”, in The Dominion Illustrated: A Canadian Pictorial Weekly, volume I, number 16, Montreal, Que., Toronto, Ont., page 243, column 2:

     One writer refers to certain purists as “antieverythingarians”; another speaks of the “cantankerosities” of ill-natured people; while still another characterises mankind, truly enough, as “mammonolaters.”

   • 1891 April 15, Tom Sawyer [pseudonym], “Possibilities of the Razor-Back”, in The Florida Agriculturist: A Journal Devoted to State Interests, volume XVIII, number 15 (whole 674), DeLand, Fla., page 210, column 3:

     As some ancient philosopher said of man, “It has its peculiarities, angularities, cantankerosities and idiosyncrasies,” and it also has its better qualities, such as spare-ribs, back[-]bones, sausages, souse, pigs feet and chitterlings.

   • 1896, B[arnas] Freeman Ashley, “Introduces Don Donalds”, in Air Castle Don; Or, From Dreamland To Hardpan (The Young America Series), Chicago, Ill.: Laird & Lee, page 14:

     An’ gin that wadna cure his appetite for all sich cantankerosities, I’d supplement the fire wi’ a gude birch rod: See Proverbs twinty-third an’ fourteenth: ‘Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt save his soul from hell.’ ”

   • 1948 July 21, A. P. H., “Letter to a Young Man”, in Punch, or The London Charivari, volume CCXV, number 5614, page 63, column 1:

     Behind him sat Critic A, one of the elderly cantankerosities already referred to, who should have given up the job years before (he is now dead, so no offence to present company).

   • 1993 September 13, Stephen Kingston, quoting Audrey Bradshaw (fictional character), “Sex, style and sugar butties”, in Manchester Evening News, page 8, column 5:

     So would she leave him for a younger man? “God forgive you, it’s a sin. I could just do without Alf being such a cantankerosity most of the time. […]”