cause of annoyance; irritant; pet peeve
Refers to something that repeatedly or particularly gets on one's nerves; often used in the phrase 癪の種になる (to become a source of irritation).
His boasting is a source of irritation.
The crowded train every morning has become a pet peeve.
Standard kanji spelling; 癪 is a common kanji for irritation or anger.
Kana spelling is also used, especially in casual writing or when the kanji 癪 is considered difficult.
Composed of 癪 (しゃく, 'irritation' or 'anger') and 種 (たね, 'seed' or 'source'), literally 'seed of irritation'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is conventionally associated with the idea of something that grows into annoyance.