Date: Tue, 16 Jul 1996 19:25:45 -0400

From: Allan Metcalf AAllan[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: hissy



DARE has a nice entry on "hissy" (chiefly South, South Midland) with

non-German etymological possibilities: "perhaps hypocoristic form of

"hysterical," or perhaps from echoic "hiss."" The earliest citation is from

the 1930s.