stick in the mud

plural sticks in the mud · plural stick in the muds · alternative stick-in-the-mud

1. derogatoryidiomaticA person unwilling to participate in activities; a curmudgeon or party pooper.

   Have a little fun sometimes and don't be such a stick-in-the-mud.

   1 more example

   "I don't hold back like you do. Even Tedd's dad can tell you're a stick-in-the-mud. That's why he made you the supervisor of this party."

   2005 November 9, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, Nov 9, 2005

   Synonyms: killjoy, party pooper, spoilsport

2. derogatoryidiomaticMore generally, one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive; an old fogey.

   There’s a parallel here: the idea of Barbie dolls being in any way noxious seems, in the current climate, to be as hopelessly stick-in-the-mud a stance as the concept of selling out.

   2023 July 19, Caspar Salmon, “Has Barbie killed the indie director? Why credible film-makers are selling out”, in The Guardian, →ISSN