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Crusty Chicago businessman

Chinese translation: surly/gruff

15:05 Jul 31, 2008
English to Chinese translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang
English term or phrase: Crusty Chicago businessman
Why is the "Crusty" capitalized in this sentence? Does it mean "short-tempered", or does it have anything to do with Chicago, or do you think it simply a typo? Thanks in advance!

Avery Brundage, the Crusty Chicago businessman who ran the International Olympic Committee as his vast personal fiefdom during the middle decades of the 20th century, clung obsessively, if at times naively or hypocritically, to the notion that his movement could be free from professionalism, commercialism and politics.

from Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/id/148999/page/1
Xiaochuan Cao
China
Local time: 05:28
Chinese translation:surly/gruff
Explanation:
I can think of no reason why crusty should be capitalized here. There's a small possibility that the author was trying to be clever (as in the "one and only Crusty Chicago Businessman"), but it's more likely that it's just a typo.

From what I just read online about Avery Brundage, I think you're pretty much right that the author is using it to mean something close to "short-tempered" although I think "surly" is slightly more appropriate.
Selected response from:

KM KM
Local time: 05:28
Grading comment
Thank you very much for your explanation and suggestion! Very helpful to me!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1surly/gruff
KM KM


  

Answers


55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
crusty chicago businessman
surly/gruff


Explanation:
I can think of no reason why crusty should be capitalized here. There's a small possibility that the author was trying to be clever (as in the "one and only Crusty Chicago Businessman"), but it's more likely that it's just a typo.

From what I just read online about Avery Brundage, I think you're pretty much right that the author is using it to mean something close to "short-tempered" although I think "surly" is slightly more appropriate.


    Reference: http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/brundage_a/brundage_a.ht...
    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Brundage
KM KM
Local time: 05:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Thank you very much for your explanation and suggestion! Very helpful to me!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wenjer Leuschel (X)
11 hrs
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