crapehanger

Or crepe·hang·er

[kreyp-hang-er]

noun

1. a person who sees the gloomy side of things; pessimist.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crapehanger¹

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20; crape + hanger

Example Sentences

But amid Coolidge prosperity, Hoover was denounced as "a crapehanger."

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Rock Hudson is an exurban hypochondriac who persuades himself that the hereafter is at hand, Doris Day is his widow-to-be, and Tony Randall is the sprightly crapehanger next door.

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