What It Means to Be a ‘Stick in the Mud’

And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

In many places in the world, spring brings a lot of rain. And this can lead to a lot of mud. So today, let's talk about a mud expression!

What do you think a stick in the mud is? Well, I'm sure you can imagine a wooden stick ... stuck in the mud. But in American English, a stick in the mud is far more than that.

A stick in the mud is a boring or uninteresting person. They do not try anything new. They are not willing to take a risk. They also could be slow and old-fashioned.

Sometimes sticks in the mud have unpopular or outdated¹ beliefs. They are not progressive. Or it could be a combination of all or some of these things.

So, a person could be called a stick in the mud for many reasons. But we always use this expression to show disapproval². So, it's an insult.

However, keep this in mind. A person does not always have to be a stick in the mud to be called a stick in the mud. I should explain.

Let's say you are at a party with friends. Now, usually in your friend group, you are the life of the party. This means you are the one at the party who is having the most fun. You also create fun for others. You join whatever game or activity is happening.

But at this party, maybe you don't feel well. Or maybe you just received some bad news. Perhaps you need to be up early the next day for an important test. Whatever the reason, you are sitting in the back of the room and are not really talking much to anyone. So, you are not acting³ like your usual self. And you haven't told anyone why. So, you should not be surprised when your best friend asks you, "Why are you being such a stick-in-the-mud?"

Maybe next time you should tell your best friend when something is bothering you or when you are not well.

We have other names for a stick-in-the-mud person.

We could call them a stuffed shirt. This means they are all business, all the time. They are no fun at all. If you like words that rhyme, you could call them a fuddy-duddy.

Fuddy-duddies are different from stuffed shirts, though. A fuddy-duddy would be the old-fashioned, doesn't-like-change type of stick in the mud. A stuffed shirt is the always-very-serious-and-business-minded type of stick in the mud.

You can also use stick-in-the-mud as an adjective before a noun. For example, a friend of mine always does as she is told, never tries anything new or takes any risks. She has a bit of a stick-in-the-mud personality.

Or you could say someone has a stick-in-the-mud attitude. A person who always has a stick-in-the-mud attitude could also be called a downer. This means they bring people down.

Some word experts say this expression comes from an image of feet or the wheel of a horse carriage stuck in mud. Both are unable to go anywhere. They cannot progress. So, in early days the term stick in the mud, usually described someone who remained in a difficult situation, either by choice or because they were stuck.

And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.

Words in This Story

boring – adj. dull and uninteresting

old-fashioned – adj. from or like that of an earlier time

outdated – adj. no longer useful or acceptable : not modern or current

progressive – adj. moving forward : a person who favors new or modern ideas especially in politics and education

stuffed shirt – n. a smug, conceited⁴, and usually pompous⁵ person often with an inflexibly⁶ conservative or reactionary⁷ attitude

fuddy-duddy – n. one that is old-fashioned, unimaginative, or conservative

personality – n. the qualities (as moods or habits) that make one human being different from others

attitude – n. a mental position with regard to a fact or state : the way you think and feel about someone or something

carriage – n. a wheeled vehicle, especially : a horse-drawn vehicle designed for private use and comfort

1 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

2 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 conceited   

adj.自负的，骄傲自满的

参考例句：

• He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。
• I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。

5 pompous   

adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。
• He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

6 inflexibly   

adv.不屈曲地，不屈地

参考例句：

• These are very dynamic people, but they manifest inflexibly in relating to the world. 这是一些很有力量的人，但他们在与这个世界的联系中表现地过于强硬而难于妥协。 来自互联网

7 reactionary   

n.反动者，反动主义者；adj.反动的，反动主义的，反对改革的

参考例句：

• They forced thousands of peasants into their reactionary armies.他们迫使成千上万的农民参加他们的反动军队。
• The reactionary ruling clique was torn by internal strife.反动统治集团内部勾心斗角，四分五裂。