Green’s Dictionary of Slang

short-arse n.

also short-ass

a small person, an insignificant person; thus as a nickname.

[UK]N. Ward ‘Battel without Bloodshed’ in Writings (1704) 113: The Tall-man with Pike, and the Short-Arse with Gun.
[UK]E. Phillips New World of Words (6th edn) n.p.: Spud, [...] a Short-arse, or little despicable Fellow.
[UK]Fast Man 6:1 n.p.: Mr. [? Hurst] said he'd got his cocked hat and staff outside, and if they liked he’d soon have order. a voice.—‘Sit down. Short a—!’.
[UK]R. Llewellyn None But the Lonely Heart 253: Come on, shortarse, where’s the doings.
[Aus](con. 1941) E. Lambert Twenty Thousand Thieves 221: Hey, shortarse! [...] You with the pips. Show us yer face.
[Aus]B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 109: Thank cripes you were approximately in the vicinity, Shortarse.
[UK]G. Melly Owning Up (1974) 205: A four-eyed short-arse, which makes its nest in old New Statesmans.
[UK]T. Blacker Fixx 83: ‘Step aside, Shortarse,’ I said to a tall, skinny youth.
[UK](con. 1950s) J. Byrne Slab Boys [film script] 62: I’m no’ tellin’ you again, shortarse.
(con. c.1950) Malcolm S Mathews Myself and Others 🌐 He glanced speculatively at Shortarse, but mercifully refrained from comment.
[Aus]G. Seal Lingo 123: The short-arse is a person of small stature.
[UK]M. Amis Experience 14: I always feel such a short-arse in the Picasso.
[Scot](con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 332: Any hands-on involvement in a skrimish wi a short-arse nancy can only diminish their standing.
[UK]A. Wheatle Crongton Knights 118: ‘And say he turns round and says, “Screw you, short-ass,” and cracks up laughing’.
[UK]M. Herron Joe Country [ebook] [H]aving, as she put it, a lower centre of gravity: lot of syllables for shortarse.