'cross-grained' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'cross' and 'grain', where 'cross' meant 'ill-tempered' or 'across' and 'grain' meant 'the direction of wood fibres or natural disposition'.

'cross-grained' developed from older compounds such as Middle English 'cross-grain' used in reference to timber; the term for wood then extended figuratively to describe people or temper in Early Modern English.

Initially it meant 'having the wood grain running across (the usual direction)', but over time it evolved into the additional figurative meaning of 'contrary or ill-tempered'.