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How can one affectionately call someone who is always moaning/whinging? I am looking for a qualifier with minimal negative connotation.

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I can think of a few that go with specific names - Moaning Lisa, for example... – MT_Head Jun 19 '11 at 22:20
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Does a lot of whinging go on at a whing-ding? – mgkrebbs Jun 19 '11 at 22:30
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"Don't be a debbie downer". – victoriah Jun 19 '11 at 22:41
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@mgkrebbs see english.stackexchange.com/questions/26935/… – Theta30 Jun 20 '11 at 0:49
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Honestly, I think it has a lot more to do with how you say it than what exactly you're saying. Any of the answers given below, if said in anger, would have a much stronger negative connotation than if said gently or jokingly. – rintaun Jun 20 '11 at 0:50

4 Answers

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I imagine the Yiddish kvetch is sometimes used affectionately. And here's some other possibilities I can picture being said with appropriate warmth:

bellyacher
codger
crab
crankypants
croaker
curmudgeon
sorehead
squawker

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up vote 2 down vote

Scots would use the term stropper or stroppy:

My, you're being a wee bit stroppy this morning!

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up vote 1 down vote

My kids are always like that. I called them "grumpy bum". Combine a negative word with a cute or positive term.

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smile. wondering which out of "grumpy" and "bum" is supposed to be the cute positive term, though! – hawbsl Jun 20 '11 at 8:37
well my 3 year old thinks bum is a very funny word =) – Daveo Jun 20 '11 at 23:56
up vote 2 down vote

I think the gentlest term I could think up of, was "bear":

You have been a bear all morning! Let's be happy now.

How about "Moaner"? As in:

Come, come, don't be a moaner!

There's also "whiner", or "groucho", or "grumpy" which is very gentle:

Let's not be grumpy shall we?

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One problem with bear is its use in gay lingo to refer to husky, large men with a lot of body hair, but +1 for grumpy. – Callithumpian Jun 19 '11 at 23:19
@Callithumpian: lol I didn't know that :D – Alenanno Jun 20 '11 at 0:17

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