a. [f. CRUST sb. + -Y.]
1. Of the nature of a crust; hard like a crust; characterized by having a crust. spec. a. Scabby. † b. Crustaceous (obs.); c. Crusted (of wine).
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 186. If þe mater be fleumatik … & if þe skyn be crusty.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 369. An handfull of corne … or else of crustie breade sodden in a caldron.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy., III. 274 (R.). A kinde of crusty shel-fish … hauing a crusty taile.
1666. J. Smith, Old Age, 173 (T.). The dry, solid, tensile, hard, and crusty parts of the body.
1713. Derham, Phys. Theol., VII. iv. (ed. 3), 353 (J.). The Egg.… Its Parts within, and its crusty Coat without are admirably well fitted for the Business of Incubation.
1830. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. IV. (1863), 136. His loaves, which are crusty, and his temper, which is not.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxviii. (1856), 229. Snow, recent and sufficiently crusty to bear you five paces and let you through the sixth.
1863. Possibil. of Creation, 77. Good old crusty port.
2. fig. Of persons (or their dispositions, etc.): Short of temper; harshly curt in manner or speech: the opposite of suave or affable.
c. 1570. Preston, Cambyses, in Hazl., Dodsley, IV. 184. Master Ruff, are ye so crusty?
1598. Lyly, Moth. Bomb., II. iv. You need not bee crustie, you are not so hard backt.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., V. i. 5. Enter Thersites. Achil. Thou crusty batch of Nature, what’s the newes?
1764. Foote, Mayor of G., I. Wks. 1799, I. 174. Come, come, man; don’t be so crusty.
1857. Mrs. Gaskell, C. Brontë (1860), 12. A stranger can hardly ask a question without receiving some crusty reply.
† b. fig. Hardened, stubborn. Obs.
1651–3. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year, I. xii. 153. Hardned not by cold, but made crusty and stubborn by the warmth of the divine fire.
