Crotchetiness

/ˈkrɒtʃɪtinəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being overly stubborn, unreasonably eccentric, or having strange and unpredictable opinions and behaviors.

Etymology

From 'crotchet' (a perverse notion or whim, from Old French crochete, a hook), with the suffix '-iness' creating an abstract noun of the quality.

Kelly Says

A crotchet is literally a hook-shaped stitch in crochet, but it came to mean a twisted or 'hooked' idea—old people muttering about their peculiar beliefs became known for their 'crotchetiness,' which is probably why we associate being quirky with being stubborn.

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