Definition of codger

The origin of the word "codger" is uncertain, and there are several theories regarding its etymology. In the 16th century, "codger" was used to describe an old, worn-out horse or a horse with crooked legs. It may have stemmed from an older term, "codge," which meant "a short, thick wooden block used to support something" or "a provision chest." This could have been a reference to the way old horses looked, as if their legs were replacing the short wooden block. However, another theory suggests that "codger" originated from the word "cod," which was a term used to describe a fat, old herring. Some believe that "codger" was a term used to describe old men who were as stiff and wrinkled as the retired fish. Yet another theory proposes that "codger" derives from the word "cockier" (meaning "haughty, overconfident"), which in turn is believed to have originated from the surname "Cogger" or "Cogar." This theory emphasizes that the appellation "codger" was initially applied to proud, overconfident young men, who subsequently aged into old, stubborn men. The exact origin of "codger" remains unclear, and it is possible that the term has evolved as a result of a combination of these theories or an as-yet-undiscovered source. Nevertheless, regardless of its origin, "codger" has come to connote a humorously pejorative term for an elderly, usually eccentric or grumpy person.