At what age can you add "Grumpy old" to your gender?

General Discussion
21

Not being a soccer fan (any more) the odd glimpse I get of a game today seems to show a welter of imported foreign players in most Premiership sides? Where are the English ones to fit in? Where do they develop? Whatever (if even) there is some sort of system bringing them along, it doesn't seem to be working very well does it?

Plus I read somewhere that it costs something up to 80 quid to see a main game in the UK? Can't be true surely? Although I suppose the money for these expensive imports has to come from somewhere. The world truly has gone mad if this is correct.

Just to keep the thread on-track, another way to make older people on pensions even grumpier I would suspect?

22

I like grincheur as that actually sounds link advanced grumpiness!

23

The latter is great because it reminds me of Dr Seuss's 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. He is a grumpy, anti-holiday spirit who is the root of the term Grinch. He is irritated by others' happiness and gets his pleasure by spoiling other people's fun.

24

Ronchon

Râleur

Grincheux

Are all alternatives ;-)

25

Frankly I think 21 is a good age. I only wish I had thought of it earlier. Look at all the fun I have missed out on.

26

Peter, to paraphrase a certain Groucho (there's a good name if I ever heard one?) I wouldn't want to be part of any association that accepted members like me!

27

"Bougon" is what would be used around here, David. "Morose" is for Droopies :)

28

You sound well worthy of the 'grumpy' tag Kevin and years of experience have only enhanced your 'grump rating' but what REALLY get's your goat ?

This is the haven to burn your bra and have a good moan !

29

In order to extend my French vocab I have just researched my dictionary to find the following:

Bourru

Morose

Bougon

Round here Bourré seems to be used for "drunk" so that may be a bit confusing! Any other suggestions?

30

I made a sign for my house … Grumpy’s Den

31

I think Mark you are a member of the 'Grumpy' clique.

I have been for years.

When our first Grandchild was born, our daughter asked what I would want to be called......I replied 'grumpy'.

Now two daughters have had children, who all call me grumpy.

I think its an honour and a privilege and also takes time to amass the necessary amount of grump.

Well done and welcome.

32

That's a fine story, David. Another "Henry" who forgot to square da Guards :)

33

In season our village is a great centre of chasseurs. They arrive in the village square outside our house for coffee and croissants in the village bar opposite. Over the years they have become richer and the proportion of 4x4's to white vans has greatly increased. They have also spent more money on their attire which clearly comes with a pecking order, at which breeches and tiny cheesecutter caps in dark green are at the top. There are still plenty of white vans, and a number of cars with rickety looking trailers. My dog knows immediately when there are hounds in the village and wants to join in. Depending on daylight they then shoot off into various directions in fast moving convoys. It doesn't seem too long until they are back in the square arriving for the main business of the day, an extremely long lunch, which usually takes all afternoon. Such a day was the Saturday just past. Another part of the ritual, and as on the same Saturday afternoon every year, the gendarmes arrived and took up position just outside the restaurant. All those "lunching" but wishing to smoke, did so on the terrrace outside the restaurant looking directly at the gendarmes. No arrests were made this year but two years ago an arrest was made- he was a passing British expat who was "done" to the amusement of the chasseurs.

34

*like*

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/retirement/413769/Fun-loving-pensioners-are-blowing-inheritance-for-their-younger-relations

35

My grandad worked at Leyland Motors all his life, from tea-lad to export director, and after retiring at 65 just wasted away, didn't know what to do with himself all day (my gran died two years before, which may have had something to do with it). Being from a different generation, where there was no shame in doing sweet f-a at various periods ; since retiring three years ago, I just feel like I've gone back to the early 70s to get back to fiddling around! Though body is less willing, agreed. Daughter number one (age 27) did say in an email the other day, after I gave her some good advice about the best way to visit Budapest, "on doit toujours écouter son papa!", which was as good a reason as any to pour another apéro :)

36

Excuse me Norman but i'm definitely NOT past my sell-by date ! Life has just begun for me and i've never had so much 'fun' ! Being older prevents me making so many costly mistakes thanks to experience gained in past campaigns.

Norman you undoubtedly have all the qualities to become president on the SFN Grumpy Old Gits Society (GOGS).

37

I will be 70 in August (GW) and am about to be officially over the "hump"! I didn't know my father terribly well and he died in 1964 at 61 years old but I do remember a conversation in his last year in which he told me that by 60 most men feel that they are being overtaken by younger men who will fill their shoes and that he personally felt disgruntled by that. He didn't have the opportunity to pass over the 70 "hump". In fact his early 60's were too much for him rather sadly. I still and rather unusually (apologies to Brian Milne) have very young family so I am doing the fatherly activities of a 30/35 year old. The brain is not too bad but the body is rather less willing! Something I find particularly frustrating is that the lessons of the past (and passing!) generations are not known or deliberately ignored by the younger generation and any attempt by the older gits to make a contribution (or dictate actions or policy) are met with scorn and ridicule. May I recommend "Now We are Sixty" by a former client of mine Christopher Matthew available chez Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-are-Sixty-Christopher-Matthew/dp/0719559790

38

Aye, and ecological too, no stolen get-away BMW's there, mate :

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/gang-wars-10-years-for-gunman-1-4439699

"Police say Daniel Nicholls, 24, was a “significant member” of a gang from Avenham which had been involved in a dispute with rivals in Fishwick for more than two months leading up to the shooting.

Detectives believe the two groups had been feuding over drugs and, on October 25, last year, Nicholls was involved in the shooting of a member of the Fishwick gang in the foot with a revolver – the first time in two years a firearm had been used in the city.

Police were called to the scene, in Skeffington Road, at around 1am to find the 29-year-old victim injured.Quick-thinking officers had spotted a number of men cycling away from the scene and, linking them to the shooting, gave chase.

At one point, one of the bikers – who police say was Nicholls – dumped his bike and started running. He was caught near the junction of New Hall Lane and Geoffrey Street and the gun, a Webley revolver, was found nearby."

When I came to this town in France thirty year ago, to work on the industrial heritage here (an aluminium factory that brought 29 nationalities here to work in a place with 2 500 inhabitants), some of the old fellas would say "eh, toi l'étranger", to which I replied, "ô toi, ton nom c'est -o, -i, ou -ski?" (Porto, Eyetie, or Polack)

:)

39

I think there is a process - first you become 'confident' (aged about 30 in my case) over the next few years judgement against you moves from 'confident' to ' arrogant' (in Oz this soon went onto 'bloody arrogant') Then comes the 'smart-ass' (using the slightly more genteel word), which kicks in at about your age I think. Then the further refinement in one's 60's as being a 'pain in the ass', leading up to qualification process until like a swan in your 70's you develop as full-blown,fully-paid-up member of the 'Grumpy Old Git' society.

Let's face it, it takes a long time and a lot of hard complaining to achieve this status (only me so singular applies, no?), so it is something to be proud of, even though deep down we know in reality we are past our sell-by dates and no-one is taking any notice of us anyway!

40

Tough place Preston, they play tennis with hammers up there !

True what David says tho'. It's easier to say what you think as you get older I find. The workplace as well as almost anywhere can be confrontational so it's easy for people to get wound up but i've got to the stage where I really don't give a toss what people think of me ! I try to remain helpful and polite but I suppose being less patient has made me more grumpy ?