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tetchy problems

Hi,

I've found that tetchy(means being or inclined to be cross, irritable, or touchy) is an adjective for people, could it be used for other things such as problems? in this case, it may means disturbing or troubling! what's your idea?

"....long ago, when this tetchy little problem had come up, he had signed the papers on behalf of his friend...."

Many thanks, and regards.

It's part of Inheritance of Loss, a novel by Kiran Desai.
I believe I have seen that usage of "tetchy".
It's hypallage (TT's "transferred epithet"). The problems aren't annoyed; the guy dealing with them is. For rhetorical effect the quality is transferred from one thing to another.
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