Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (S.Afr.) trouble, ‘backchat’, obstreperous behaviour.

1977		C. Hope Ducktails in Gray Theatre Two (1981) 47: I told you not to gooi me any more strop, Bo-bo.
1982		P. Slabolepszy Sat. Night at the Palace (1985) 13: So because I want to stuff him up, Carstens has a big shit from the bench. Says I mustn’t cause strop.

2. a bad temper.

1998		G. Burn Happy Like Murderers 326: When Fred got depressed or had a strop on him he grew his hair.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 112: ‘Until you tell me, how the fuck do I know if I know or not?’ I say in a strop.
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 64: So off they go, roysh, in a total strop.
2018		I. Welsh Dead Man’s Trousers 29: Conrad’s understandably back in the strop big time.
2021		L. McInerney Rules of Revelation 57: Joseph brought Ryan and Ryan brought Karine and the two of them were in this mutual strop.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 389: Goes back up in strop.