cross as a bear



cross as a bear

Grumpy, ill-humored, annoyed, as in Stay away from Claire; she's cross as a bear this morning. Unlike the earlier cross as two stocks, this survives even though the adjective cross for "ill-tempered" is otherwise not used much in America. It is sometimes amplified as cross as a bear with a sore head. [Early 1700s]
See also: bear, cross

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
GabiGAH-bee (German)German, Romanian, Hungarian
Terezie-Czech
Maikel-Dutch
Chevonne-Irish
Nikomachos-Ancient Greek
Gundahar-Ancient Germanic, Germanic Mythology