lemony, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

lemony adj.

[the ‘sharpness’ of the fruit]

1. (Aus.) irritating, frustrating.

1926

Brisbane Courier 20 Nov. 20/3: Yes: the Melbourne Cup, comrades, was lemony for a lot of us, wasn’t it?

2. (Aus./N.Z.) angry, irritated.

1935		C. Drew ‘The Bone-Head’ in Bulletin 6 May 28/2: I said as much to Finger one day, and he got a trifle lemony.
1946		D. Stivens Courtship of Uncle Henry 70: ‘Okay,’ I says. ‘I catch on. I’ll serve up the high hat talk.’ ‘I do not approve of slang,’ he says, his voice going lemony.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 28: He was as lemony as hell before he hung up.

go lemony at (v.) (also go lemony on, ...with)

to lose one’s temper with.

1919		Int’l Socialist (Sydney) 25 Oct. 2/2: The Melbourne ‘Socialist,’ [...] goes very lemony at the attacks of ‘Left Wing’ on H. E. Boole [...] and Percy Brookfield.
1922		Don Dorrigo Gaz. (NSW) 11 Feb. 1/7: The Citrus Association just formed in three States are [sic] due to the orchadists [sic] going ‘lemony’ at the rates charged by the agents.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 233/2: go lemony at (go off at, get wet) become angry toward.
1968		S. Gore Holy Smoke 35: Oh, blimey, they went real lemony on ’im!