I'm writing a tribute to a friend and colleague who passed away unexpectedly last week.
I want to use a synonym for "cranky" or "crusty" that doesn't have a lot of negativity about it -- he could be cranky at times, but we all loved him anyway.
I've looked at synonyms; Merriam Webster gives me words like this: choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irascible, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snarky, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspish, all of which are so negative.
My mind is a blank -- can you help me with a word or phrase that's a little gentler?