Definition

1. Noun:

   • A person who is slow, old-fashioned, or resistant to change: A "stick-in-the-mud" is someone who is very conservative, avoids new ideas or activities, and is considered boring or unadventurous.
   • Someone who moves or acts slowly: It can also refer to a person who is physically slow or sluggish in their actions.

2. Adjective:

   • Old-fashioned, out of date: When used as an adjective, "stick-in-the-mud" describes ideas, attitudes, or things that are conservative and not modern.

Usage Examples

• Noun: Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud; come to the party with us! My grandfather is a real stick-in-the-mud when it comes to using new technology.

• Adjective: His stick-in-the-mud views on fashion are from another era. We need to update these stick-in-the-mud policies.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used pejoratively (in a disapproving or critical way) to criticize someone for being too cautious or traditional.
• It can be used humorously among friends, though it may still carry a mild insult.

Variants and Related Words

• Stodgy (adj): Dull, uninspired, and conservative in attitude or style.
• Fuddy-duddy (n): A person who is old-fashioned and fussy. (Similar in meaning to "stick-in-the-mud" as a noun).

Synonyms

• Noun: conservative, traditionalist, fogey, slowpoke, slowcoach, fuddy-duddy.
• Adjective: old-fashioned, outmoded, conservative, unprogressive, stodgy.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Set in one's ways: Resistant to change because of long-established habits.
• Behind the times: Not aware of or using the latest ideas or techniques; old-fashioned.

Adjective

1. (used pejoratively) out of fashion; old fashioned
   • moss-grown ideas about family life

Noun

1. someone who moves slowly
   • in England they call a slowpoke a slowcoach