grumpy pants

See also: grumpypants, and grumpy-pants

English

Alternative forms

• grumpy-pants
• grumpypants

Etymology

From grumpy +‎ -pants.

Noun

grumpy pants (plural grumpy pants)

1. (countable, informal, sometimes used attributively) Synonym of grump (“person who is currently in a bad mood or is habitually cranky”).

   Coordinate terms: bossy pants, scaredy pants

   Near-synonym: bitchy-pants

   • 1954, Philip Wylie, The Best of Crunch and Des, Rinehart, page 360:

     "You fish, pal. Old grumpy-pants doesn't own the ocean!"

   • 2012, Ellie Daines, Lolly Luck‎^[1], Anderson Press Limited, →ISBN:

     I was worried the supply teacher would be some grumpy-pants who liked sending kids out of the room if they dared to interrupt while they were speaking.

   • 2013, Eve Langlais, B785: Cyborg Romance, self-published, →ISBN, page 74:

     “Charming, there you are. I've been looking all over for you. Grumpy pants here wouldn't tell me where you went.”

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:grumpy pants.
2. (uncountable, informal) A notional pair of pants worn by someone in a bad mood.

   Coordinate terms: big-boy pants, big-girl pants

   Near-synonym: bitchy pants

   We asked him to take off his grumpy pants and put on his big-boy pants.

   • 2011, C. J. Castano, Forbidden Innocence, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 115:

     "What is everyone's problem this morning? Did everyone wake up with their grumpy pants on?"

   • 2011, Scott Semegran, The Spectacular Simon Burchwood‎^[2], Sugar Skull Books, →ISBN:

     "Well, look who put on his grumpy pants today?" Gina said, punching me in the arm. She was really starting to get on my last goddamn nerves.

   • 2013, Edward Viljoen, The Power of Meditation: An Ancient Technique to Access Your Inner Power‎^[3], Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, →ISBN:

     I notice that when I move through the world at this pace, I tend to do what a friend calls “wearing my grumpy pants.”