stick in the mud

See also: stick-in-the-mud

English

WOTD – 2 April 2008

stick in the mud (plural sticks in the mud or stick in the muds)

(idiomatic, derogatory) A person unwilling to participate in activities; a curmudgeon or party pooper.
Have a little fun sometimes and don't be such a stick-in-the-mud.
- 2005 November 9, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, Nov 9, 2005:
  "I don't hold back like you do. Even Tedd's dad can tell you're a stick-in-the-mud. That's why he made you the supervisor of this party."
(idiomatic, derogatory) More generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.
- 2023 July 19, Caspar Salmon, “Has Barbie killed the indie director? Why credible film-makers are selling out”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:
  There’s a parallel here: the idea of Barbie dolls being in any way noxious seems, in the current climate, to be as hopelessly stick-in-the-mud a stance as the concept of selling out.

(person unwilling to participate): killjoy, party pooper, spoilsport; see also Thesaurus:spoilsport

one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive