crusty
Surly or well-baked
Crusty describes something with a hard outer layer, like crusty bread fresh from the oven.
Extended to people, crusty means irritable and rough-mannered, especially of older folks set in their ways: a crusty old professor who tolerated no nonsense.
The word suggests the hardness is superficial—there may be softness underneath.
Firm and breakable
- toastedBrowned by heat
- baguetteElongated crusty loaf
- croissantLayered crescent-shaped pastry
- toastHeated bread; glass-raising honor
sourdough · loaf · artisan · crackling · golden-brown · boule · ciabatta · rolls
Irritable in temperament
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- irritableEasily provoked to annoyance
- curmudgeonlyBad-tempered and uncooperative
- crotchetyIrritable and complaining
ornery · surly · grouchy · testy · peevish · snappish · irascible · crabby
crisp
Firm and breakable
toast · sourdough · loaf · artisan · crackling · golden-brown · boule · ciabatta · rolls · crunchy
grumpy
Irritable in temperament
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- irritableEasily provoked to annoyance
- curmudgeonlyBad-tempered and uncooperative
crotchety · ornery · surly · grouchy · testy · peevish · snappish · irascible · crabby · churlish
flaky
Crumbly or unreliable
hardened · scabby · coated · layered · brittle · cracked · peeling · scaled · parched · desiccated
weathered
Eroded by exposure
seasoned · worn · cracked · faded · vintage · decrepit · ramshackle · dilapidated · rusted · corroded
- pie crustBaked outer layer
- pizza crustBaked bread beneath toppings
- upper crustSocial elite class
- thin crustMinimal dough layer
- thin-crust pizzaPie with minimal dough base
- thin crust pizzaPizza with minimal base
crust, crustacean, encrust, encrusted, crustless, crustal, incrustation, crustiness, crustier