In which case if you wanted a female version of the word it'd surely be grrlmudgeon. But I think the words not not really gender specific, so long as there are female curmudgeons who will stomp anyone who calls them a bitch.

Nasty word that, "bitch", dunno why really. I wouldn't fel comfortable using it referring to a dog. And yet to call a man a dog might be quite complimentary, and the same should apply to women, given the generally pleasant nature of most real dogs, male or female, when treated decently.

Battleaxe on the other hand can be quite a compliment - and it's another example of the oddity of language, because I don't think you could use it of a bloke, even a Viking.

And bloke's another odd one, because I don't think you'd ever use it for a woman, except maybe in a jokey sort of way. (And I know Americans don't use the word anyway - I gather it's from the Shelta, the "ancient hybrid cant language of Irish gypsies and opipers, Irtish and Welsh travelling tinkers etc") But "guy" in the plural anyway appears to be non gender specific - "you guys".