Get shirty
Meaning
To become annoyed, bad-tempered, or rude, often in a confrontational way.
Origin
The phrase "get shirty" paints a vivid picture of a man becoming agitated to the point where his shirt, once tidy and composed, begins to wrinkle, come untucked, or even feel constricting as his temper flares. It evokes the physical signs of anger: a tensing of the body, a tightening of the jaw, and an almost imperceptible shift in posture that would cause one's clothing to become disarrayed. This metaphor of a disordered shirt, signalling a loss of calm and the onset of irritability or rudeness, became a concise way to describe someone becoming bad-tempered and confrontational, as if their very clothing was reflecting their internal agitation.
Examples
- He tends to get shirty if you question his decisions too much, so tread carefully.
- Don't get shirty with me just because I pointed out a simple mistake.