fogey means A dull person (especially an old man) who is behind the times, holding antiquated, over-conservative views. It carries an Arena rating of 1596, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, fogey ranks #2,708 of 12,555 for Scariest Words, #4,015 of 12,569 for Funniest Words, #4,015 of 12,543 for Most Satisfying to Say, #10,846 of 12,338 for The Improbable.
fogey is pronounced /ˈfoʊɡi/.
Why “fogey” is a great word
A person, especially an older man, who is considered dull and obstinately conservative in their views, behind the times. Its etymology traces to Scots foggie, meaning 'covered with moss or lichen; mossy, hence old, antiquated,' from fog ('moss, lichen') and the suffix -y, first attested in the 1780s referring to an army pensioner or veteran. Unlike a 'conservative,' who may favor tradition from reasoned principle, or a 'traditionalist,' whose adherence can be deliberate and informed, a fogey implies a personal, stubborn mustiness, a mind grown over with the slow, green decay of its own prejudices. He is the scent of damp wool and mothballs in a sunless parlor, the texture of cracked leather on an armchair that has memorized a single shape, the sound of a grumbled 'Bah!' at any newfangled innovation—a portrait of time not as wisdom, but as a comfortable, ineradicable stain.
Etymology
Borrowed from Scots foggie, fogie (noun), perhaps derived from Scots foggie (“covered with moss or lichen; mossy", hence "old, antiquated, decrepit”, adjective), from Scots fog (“moss; lichen”), equivalent to fog (“moss”) + -y. Further origin uncertain. More at fog.
noun
- A dull person (especially an old man) who is behind the times, holding antiquated, over-conservative views.“[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.”