chippy

The word 'chippy' originates from the verb 'chip,' which emerged in Middle English with the meaning of cutting or chipping away. The adjectival suffix '-y,' a productive Old English derivational tool, was added to form 'chippy,' literally meaning "characterized by chipping." The primary modern sense, "easily annoyed or irritable," is a metaphorical extension from the early 20th century, suggesting a person whose temper is easily "chipped" at or who is prone to "fly off the handle." The noun senses developed separately through metonymy: in British English, from the "chipping" of potatoes to make fries sold in a shop, and in North American English, from the "chipping" or cutting of wood by a carpenter.

Structure: chip (to break off small pieces) + y (adjective-forming suffix) - chip: From Middle English chippen, of uncertain origin, possibly related to Old English -cippian (as in forcippian 'to cut off'). Its core sense is to cut or break a small piece from something. - y: A native English suffix forming adjectives from nouns and verbs, meaning "characterized by" or "inclined to."