fuddy-duddy

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformalhumorous

   A person who is fussy, stuffy and old-fashioned in their attitudes, and who dislikes new ideas or fun.

   Grammar: Usually a gentle teasing label for people: he's an old fuddy-duddy.

   Patterns

   • an old fuddy-duddy

   My grandfather is a bit of a fuddy-duddy and still refuses to use a cell phone.

   Don't be such a fuddy-duddy; come and dance with us.

   The committee was full of fuddy-duddies who rejected every modern suggestion.

2. 2adjectivecomparableinformal

   Describing something or someone that is dull, stuffy and out of date.

   Grammar: Less common as an adjective: a fuddy-duddy attitude.

   Patterns

   • fuddy-duddy ideas

   She hated the school's fuddy-duddy dress code.

   Their fuddy-duddy approach to marketing lost them customers.

Word forms

Common combinations

old fuddy-duddy

I know I sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but the music is too loud.

stuffy fuddy-duddy

The stuffy fuddy-duddy at the club disliked change.

such a fuddy-duddy

You're such a fuddy-duddy about screens at the dinner table.

fuddy-duddy ways

He stuck to his fuddy-duddy ways despite his children's teasing.

act like a fuddy-duddy

Stop acting like a fuddy-duddy and try the new game.

Synonyms and how they differ

stick-in-the-mud

A stick-in-the-mud resists new activities or ideas, and it is a very close but slightly more picturesque idiom.

square

Square is slang from the mid-twentieth century and is blunter, while fuddy-duddy has a gentler, affectionate tone.

fogey

A fogey is a person with old-fashioned views, but the word mostly describes older men and sounds slightly harsher.

killjoy

A killjoy spoils other people's fun on purpose, whereas a fuddy-duddy just seems stuffy.

Opposites

Commonly confused: fuddy-duddy or fuddle?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “fuddy-duddy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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