Words at Play : Top 10 Favorite British Words, Vol. 2
Definition:
angry; irritated
Example:
"Nurses getting very shirty about out-of-hours visiting. Understandable, but they could be nicer about it." – Rich Watts on Twitter, April 10, 2011
About the Word:
Shirty comes from shirt as it's used in a few expressions that may have to do with undressing in preparation for a fight. If you get someone's shirt out, you make the person lose his or her temper. And if you keep your shirt on, you manage to remain calm.
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