Talk:geezer

Is geezer really used in the meaning of boiler?
If so, is it an alternative spelling for geyser?

For me, the feeling of geezer is someone who either has not kept up with current pop culture, or is perhaps living in the past. More than just old, it is old and out of touch. You wouldn't expect to see a geezer using an iPhone or surfing the 'net.

None of the official etymologies of "geezer" explain its common meaning in US English, "a useless old man." I would like to offer a possible explanation: There was a tremendous amount of German immigration to the US in the 19th century, and "giessen" is German for the verb "to water," as in "water the lawn." Germans hearing the word may have tended to apply it to an old bloke rather than any bloke (as in the UK) because of its seeming reference to urination. Associating old guys with their bathroom functions (sometimes the only functions they have left) can also be seen in the common Yiddish expression "alte kocker," i.e., "old pooper."

   Ken Atkatz (talk) 00:09, 11 March 2019 (UTC) Ken Atkatz, a geezer

etymology

How sure are we that geezer is a short form of guiser? Did the vowels match at the creation date? Our mentioning of G Kieser seems intended to cast doubt on the etymology without directly saying it's wrong. I can see the possibility that two terms influenced each other or even merged, though. —Soap— 06:02, 6 October 2023 (UTC)