Where did this word come from? Does it have anything to do with the crotch?

The related group is from a root croc- 'hook', in both Latin and Germanic, and I'm not sure which direction it was borrowed. This gives us 'crook' and 'crooked', 'crouch', and 'crotch'. With the French diminutive it gives 'crotchet', 'crochet', and 'croquet'. In all these the sense of being hooked or bent is obvious.

As to 'crotchety', it relates to a less common sense of 'crotchet', a foible or whim or fancy. This dates from the late 1500s, so presumably it means that the use of crotchets in music was regarded as highly fiddly and nervous, these being very short notes then. (Cf. breve 'short', semibreve, then minim 'least': so half a minim was fleetingly small.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: aput,

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Originally posted by Caterwauller:
Does it have anything to do with the crotch?

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Depends on how often it's washed. Don't bathe for a week and just watch your disposition slip!

Asa - that is gross! And what does my SLIP have to do with it? lol

Great question, CW! BTW, I would highly recommend meeting people from the board because it gives you a whole other perspective. I so enjoyed meeting CW and her wonderful husband.

The related group is from a root croc- 'hook', in both Latin and Germanic, and I'm not sure which direction it was borrowed. This gives us 'crook' and 'crooked', 'crouch', and 'crotch'.

I wonder how "crook" and "crooked," in the sense of criminals and criminal activity, evolved from a word meaning "hooked." I suppose that if someone is on the "straight and narrow," he or she is law-abiding. Yet, "straight" to me connotates not being gay, and "straight and narrow," to me, more often means just plain boring.

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I wonder how "crook" and "crooked," in the sense of criminals and criminal activity, evolved from a word meaning "hooked." I suppose that if someone is on the "straight and narrow," he or she is law-abiding. Yet, "straight" to me connotates not being gay, and "straight and narrow," to me, more often means just plain boring.

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A shepherd's crook is an honest device, is it not? And how does being "straight" become the opposite of "gay?" One who is not warped cannot be cheerful? Humbug! Since I still think of "straight" as meaning "honest," I think it besmirches cheerful - or if you mean by "gay," homosexual - people to suggest that they are not honest. This is a case wherein I wish there were some legal regulation as to what words mean and don't mean.

> the sense of being hooked or bent or obvious.

What a strange sentence. The sense of being hooked or bent is obvious.

Anyway, this might be UK slang, but we also say 'bent' in the criminal sense: a bent copper.

In Australia 'crook' also means ill/sick: when one of the magnates (Alan Bond?) claimed illness to delay his trial, a newspaper captioned him with something like 'He's too crook to stand trial.'

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
Great question, CW! BTW, I would highly recommend meeting people from the board because it gives you a whole other perspective. I so enjoyed meeting CW and her wonderful husband.

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It was certainly a joy meeting you and Shu, Kalleh! We had a wonderful time! I think you might have even convinced hubby to join the board! Now I'll have to (gasp!) share my computer!

Anyway, this might be UK slang, but we also say 'bent' in the criminal sense: a bent copper. In Australia 'crook' also means ill/sick: when one of the magnates (Alan Bond?) claimed illness to delay his trial, a newspaper captioned him with something like 'He's too crook to stand trial.'

As far as I know, we don't use "bent" in a criminal sense. Interesting about the Australian's use of 'ill/sick' to mean 'crook,' especially for me as a nurse. It is a terrible link for poor patients who are sick. I wish we had an Australian on the board to talk about this. Do you know any more, aput? Do they use 'sick' and 'ill' just as much as we do for people who are sick?

CW, I'd love to have your husband here, but I also know the trials and tribulations of sharing a computer. Notice that while my computer has been broken that I haven't posted nearly as much! We'd love to have your husband's fine mind aboard, though.

'Crook' is just slang in Australia, or perhaps colloquial: like much of their slang it's in common use. That is, you might get an Australian staggering in to you and saying 'I've been feeling really crook all week', without realizing it needs a translation.

I think in the UK we must use the word 'bent' to apply to anything that isn't 'straight' as it describes the shape of something, a criminal act or a homosexual.