Shredded into small pieces using a special kitchen tool, or annoyed/irritated by something.
From Old Norse 'grata' meaning 'to grate or scrape.' As a cooking term, it refers to rubbing food against a grater's rough surface; as an emotional term, it evolved from the harsh, scraping sound suggesting something unpleasant.
Your emotions literally 'grate' on your nerves—the word mirrors the physical sensation of friction, which is why both the kitchen tool and annoyance share the same root, showing how our language compares physical sensations to emotional ones.
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