Welcome to Grumpville!
Eight GRE-level grumpy-family words, cantankerous, querulous, irascible, peevish, petulant, truculent, surly, and dour, each get their own paired scene on a walking tour of the town of Grumpville, showing the real difference between words that all mean grumpy but never mean it the same way.
Grumpville, Grumpville, eight neighbors frown, Crabby comes in shapes all over town.
The goat on the porch snaps, "Prove it's morning!" CANTANKEROUS. Kan-tank-er-us. Always warning.
The goose flares her wings, hisses at the gate, TRUCULENT. Truck-yoo-lent. Ready for a fight.
One rider lists troubles, on and on, QUERULOUS. Kwair-uh-lus. The complaints roll on.
The other flinches at every small thing, PEEVISH. Pee-vish. A sharp little sting.
The coach's whistle shrieks, his temper flies, IRASCIBLE. Ih-rass-uh-bul. Fast to rise.
A small kid sulks, arms crossed, chin low, PETULANT. Peh-choo-lunt. A slow, slow no.
The doorman grunts and turns away, SURLY. Sur-lee. Gruff every day.
The librarian stamps without a smile, DOUR. Dow-er. Calm and gray a while.
Eight kinds of crabby, sorted today, Given a good morning, they might hum along anyway.