curmudgeon - ker-MUD-jen - a stubborn & ill-tempered person, a surly person
Example: "A curmudgeon who happens to be a lawyer in Washington recently snarled, 'The economy is so bad Exxon just laid off 25 Congressmen.'"
As a starter: and as a former teacher in English, I hope to add to reader's vocabulary by presenting a word a day in simple terms that anyone can understand - from current use in publications, radio,TV, etc. Remember: use a new word three times in a day and it's yours forever!