dudgeon

obsolete slang A illness that has been imagined. A: "Frederick called the doctor again?" B: "You know how he is—one twitch or pain leads him to believe he's extremely ill. Just another humdudgeon, I would suppose." I wouldn't worry, Mrs. Stewart. Your daughter's illness appears to be a humdudgeon, so she doesn't have to take any medication. He doesn't have a fever or anything, though. Do you think this is just a humdudgeon related to his upcoming performance in the play?

With resentment; angrily or furiously. Typically refers to someone's reaction to an offense or a slight of some kind. The professor left the room in high dudgeon after the student continued to criticize his theory. Of course I didn't exclude her intentionally, but she reacted in high dudgeon. That's why she's not talking to me. I know you're unhappy that I gave the promotion to George, but it's nothing personal—please don't speak to me in high dudgeon about it.

Fig. feeling or exhibiting great resentment; taking great offense at something. (Often with leave.) After the rude remarks, the person who was insulted left in high dudgeon. Dennis strode from the room in high dudgeon, and we knew he would get his revenge eventually.

Furiously, resentfully, as in He stormed out in high dudgeon. This term is the only surviving use of the word dudgeon, whose origin has been lost. [c. 1600]

If someone is in high dudgeon, they are very angry about something. She had left in high dudgeon after learning that the only perk was free coffee. Washington businesses are in high dudgeon over the requirement that small businesses should insure their workers.

Angrily, resentfully, in a huff. The origin of dudgeon has been lost and today the word is never used except with high—never alone and not even with low. In use from about 1600 on, the term was a cliché by the time explorer David Livingstone wrote “He went off in high dudgeon” (The Zambezi and Its Tributaries, 1865). The phrase may be dying out.