One missed cackle in the midst of a harumph or chuckle can have the same effect as laughing with a mouth full of ginger beer and the lot comes out your nose. If you are being a sage, this sort of behavior is guaranteed to destroy your image. If you are being a codger, it s not so bad as most codgers need deflating in any case. If you are being a geezer, you can consider nose emissions as normal. Codgers usually don t say much, but when they do they are generally telling you why something won t work, why something can t be done, or why something is improper, immoral, or why you just can t do that.
Sages chuckle and smile knowingly.
On the rare occasion they choose to impart their wisdom, listeners are left with the sense that something truly profound has been shared with them. Days may pass before insight comes into the mystery of the sage s words. And then you move on. An elderly fellow who consistently lives in sage mode can achieve the status of guru. And then there are curmudgeons.