What it means
A codger is an old man, usually a bit crusty, set in his ways and quick to grumble about how things were better back when. Old codger is the standard phrasing, said with a mix of affection and exasperation. He hates the new bins, the new money and the music, but he will still lend you his ladder.
Usage examples
"The old codgers down the allotment have opinions on everything from marrows to the state of the nation."
"I am turning into a right codger, in bed by nine and shouting at cyclists from the window."
"Some old codger on the bus spent twenty minutes telling me trains used to run on time and sweets cost a penny."
"Don't mind Grandad having a moan, he's a sweet old codger really and he'll still slip you a tenner for the chippy."
"That old codger in the corner shop acts like contactless ruined civilisation, but he always keeps the good biscuits behind the till for the kids."
Where it comes from
Codger has been knocking about in English since the 1700s as a word for an elderly man, often one seen as odd, tight-fisted, or a bit grumbly. The exact root isn't nailed down, but it's long been especially tied to British usage, and old codger later softened it into a more fond, teasing phrase.
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