To laugh when people describe themselves as "cross"?

[mangoespadrille]

I don't know why, but I always find it really funny. It makes me imagine an uptight, repressed middle class woman in twinset and pearls who cannot allow herself to express emotions properly. If you're angry, get angry! Say that you're pissed off, furious, enraged...cross is such a wet lettuce word.

"Do you want to see my cross face?"

I had to laugh when my four year old said that to her brother; it's a phrase her teacher and I obviously have in common! (I'm an Infant school teacher)

For some reason my friends and I have started to 'fume'. We will be 'fuming' over any tiny misadventure including putting too much milk in a brew.
Obviously we're not, but the word has really stuck. I imagine it's quite irritating for other people having to listen.

Also work in a school (was teacher, now hlta).

Cross is a word I would say. It is more than disappointed, but a fair bit less than angry.

Another one who uses 'cross' when speaking to DS. Angry can be quite a fierce word for a young child.

Also, I used 'horrid' a while ago if DS was being naughty. But that's because of Horrid Henry and DS would often say how he isn't very nice after watching a couple of episodes. So he knew what horrid meant before horrible. The effect of telling DS he was being horrid was well worth it though, he didn't much like it and would stop the bad behaviour pretty sharpish!

I like that Zippy. I'll store it for future reference when my boss has a little strop

Surely the only answer to "Do you want to see my cross face?" is yes?!

Hmm - I am rarely any angrier than "a bit cross" so I don't think any of your words would do.

But I like vexed too.
There is a lovely use of it in one of the later verses of "The Lion and Albert"

Then Pa, who had seen the occurrence
And didn't know what to do next
Said, "Mother! Yon lions 'et Albert"
And Mother said "Eeh, I am vexed!"

'Cross' has a place: it successfully conveys annoyance in a non-aggressive way. You can't imagine Freddie Krueger saying "I'm actually quite cross about that behaviour so I'm going to rip your head off...", can you?

I get 'cross' with my children and 'fucking pissed the fuck off' with twatty adults.

It's a rhetorical question isn't it (?)

I rarely get angry, but I get cross quite a lot.

I've been trying to do a "cross face". It turns out I don't have one; my face goes from resting bitch face to furious with nothing in between. Maybe I'm incapable of cross.

I sometimes describe myself as cross.

It's when I say I'm disappointed that you really have to watch out.

"cross" is a perfectly legitimate state of mind.

Just because you wouldn't use the word doesn't mean it can be dismissed or written-off. To do so would to be invalidate other people's feelings.

Also, your op is embarassingly prejudiced.

I sometimes can't decide whether to be peeved or miffed.

Another mumsnet thread offering an insight into the Inconceivably Vast Cave of Things You Would Never Have Believed It Possible To Be Miffed About.

OP, I can't decide whether you are a loveable eccentric, who quirkily takes against random bits and pieces of the English language, or someone so terrifyingly narrow in your social experience (and vocabulary) that you are verging on sociopathy.

On balance, I am going to go for the former. I think you're charmingly bonkers with your taking against the innocent and hapless 'cross'.

Agree with most - well, except you OP - that 'cross is a very useful word to express, well, crossness.
'tis very different emotion from the other words you've suggested. It's 'milder' I guess.

The other day I heard two elderly ladies discussing changes to a bus route.

Lady 1: 'Well, I am so cross, it's DISGUSTING!'
Lady 2: 'Hmm...I suppose it is a BIT disgusting...'

I was much amused at the thought of being very slightly disgusted.

I think 'cross' is quite useful to convey annoyance rather rage. When used on mumsnet, it implies the OP needs a few anecdotes in solidarity, rather than a full-on stream of LTBs, or suggestions of anger management.

How does being cross compare with 'fuming' - which I only ever come across on MN?

Vexation has a gradient of course - from vexed to 'sorely vexed'. A smooth transition en route to cross, or even angry, perhaps?

There was an op ages ago who was 'fumming' about something. It derailed the whole thread and got very funny. I 'fumm' now: it defuses me and calms me down from the irrational toddler induced rage.

It's a bit of a twee word.,like horrid.

A bit Enid Blyton.

Sometimes that's the effect you're going for though. And that's ok- a bit ironic.

Cross is higher on the scale than disgruntled, and lower than angry. It is less self-absorbed than peeved, and less externalised than irate. It is less reactionary than galled, or piqued, or put out, and less sustained than grouchy, or grumpy, or querulous.

So, I'm disgruntled that there's nothing on TV at the minute. I'm irritated that I forgot to record a favourite TV programme. I'm cross with myself because I did the same thing last week. I'm peeved that they haven't put my favourite TV programme on demand yet. I'm irate that I pay for this inadequate service. I'm grumpy because the weather has been foul all day, and I wanted to go to an outdoor Xmas fair. I was pissed off the time the neighbours blocked me in the drive when I needed to get to work on the Saturday morning, having kept me awake with their partying until 3 am, then took 20 minutes of hammering to even open the door. I was raging the time some pillock who was friends with my then housemate who thought it was a cool practical joke to bang on our door late at night, wearing a ski mask, and demand all our money (never did apologise for breaking his nose). And I'm fucking livid about them trying to close our local obstetric unit.

I do love that the English language gives us so many choices to convey subtle variations in meaning.

So you are, most definitely, being unreasonable.

I say to my kids i am cross if they have been naughty. I don't think saying i am pissed off to them is appropriate! Lol