chip on one's shoulder

Etymology
The saying originated during the 19th century in the United States, where people wanting a physical fight would carry a chip of wood on their shoulder, daring others to knock it off.

Noun

 * 1) A form of challenge, in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.
 * 2) * 1830, The Onondaga Standard, Syracuse NY, 8 December:
 * ‘Oh! if I only could get him to knock a chip off my shoulder, and so get round the law, I would give him one of the soundest thrashings he ever had.’
 * 1)  A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harboured grievance, sense of inferiority, or having something to prove.
 * 2)  A tendency to take offence quickly.
 * 1)  A tendency to take offence quickly.
 * 1)  A tendency to take offence quickly.
 * 1)  A tendency to take offence quickly.
 * 1)  A tendency to take offence quickly.

Usage notes

 * Usage over time changed, now suggesting somebody who shows a belligerent attitude, acting as though he or she was asking for a fight. The chip is now figurative, but the idea remains the same.

Translations

 * German:, gewisse Abneigung
 * Macedonian: комплекс
 * Serbo-Croatian: