词源不详，可能来自中古英语 tatch,斑点，标签，记号，来自古英语 tacen,记号，词源同 token. 插入字母 t,比较 bake,batch.词义受 touchy 影响。

1. He was in a particularly tetchy mood yesterday.

昨天他脾气特别不好。

2. You always get tetchy when you're hungry.

你一饿的时候火气就大。

3. She can be a bit tetchy but her bark is worse than her bite.

她脾气可能有点暴躁，但她是刀子嘴，豆腐心。

4. But relations between America and Britain in Afghanistan have been tetchy.

但美英在阿富汗的关系说变就变.

5. There's no need to be so tetchy ( with me )!

何必 ( 跟我 ) 那麽着急!