Strop and a Half

March 6, 2010

This morning I woke up early to remove the last of my half of the furniture from my former home. I was tired, irritable and sad from having to sort through the detritus of my former life; the best way to describe my disposition was stroppy. In fact, for years I have rated my “strop factor” out of ten – I know that people think that I’m all rainbows and butterflies, but I too have bad days. Today’s question is: what is the origin of the word stroppy?

A: Stroppy is an informal British term for someone who is easily offended or annoyed and bad-tempered. The word is thought to be first used in the 1950s, originating from the word obstreperous; meaning to be unruly or resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner.

Today's strop factor: 3.67 (above average mood, a little tired)

Source:
American Psychological Association (APA):
stroppy. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stroppy