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Glite Dictionary
to act like an old fart

to act like an old fart

9.9
To behave in a boring, old-fashioned way around other people
  • idiom
  • Offensive
translation icon : portarse como un cascarrabias (informal)
  • Stop acting like an old fart and come dance with us!

Examples

  • She teased her dad for acting like an old fart when he complained about technology.

  • Don't act like an old fart at the party!

  • He apologized for acting like an old fart about the new music choices.

  • He always acts like an old fart when we go out.

  • She laughed at her friend for acting like an old fart when he refused to try new things.

  • He often gets teased for acting like an old fart by sticking to outdated fashion.

  • At the gathering, nobody wanted to talk to him because he kept acting like an old fart and criticizing the younger crowd.

Synonyms

to be a frump
vsto act like an old fart
  • Offensive
9.1

Dress or behave in a dull, old-fashioned way

is about conservative boring social behaviour rather than just appearance

Antonyms

innovativeness
1 6.7

Thinking of new ideas and using new ways to do things

youthfully
1 3.1

In a way that shows the energy and excitement of a young person

Surface Forms

act like an old fart infinitive
acted like an old fart past
acted like an old fart past participle
acting like an old fart present participle
acts like an old fart third person singular

Morphology

act + like + an + old + fart

The verb phrase 'act like' and the adjective 'old' are transparent, so learners can tell it's describing behavior similar to an older person; however, 'fart' is a vulgar literal term for passing gas and only in slang functions as a pejorative for a boring or cantankerous person. Because the crucial evaluative sense ('boring/overly conservative') depends on slangy, culture-specific use of 'fart' rather than straightforward compositional meaning, a B1 learner knowing the constituent words would not reliably derive the full idiomatic sense.

Etymology

Act like an old fart comes from the insult old fart, a rude name for a grumpy older person who sticks to old ways and complains about new things. So act like an old fart means 'to behave in a boring, old-fashioned, or overly strict way'.