The quality of being stubborn, contrary, or having a grain that runs opposite to the usual direction, making something difficult to work with.
From 'cross-grained' (going against the grain, either literally in wood or figuratively in personality) plus '-ness' (making it a noun). The term combines woodworking terminology with personality description, suggesting that cross-grained people are as difficult to work with as cross-grained wood.
Woodworkers dread cross-grained wood because the grain twists and splinters unpredictably—the term became perfect for describing stubborn people who resist the 'natural flow' of things, and now 'crossgrainedness' means that quality of contrary obstinacy!
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