植物真的長著刺
這一組就是核心畫面本身，手真的會被扎到。
adjective · B2
A thorny bush, plant or stem has sharp points growing on it, so it hurts your hand if you grab it.
有刺的
核心畫面
Hold a rose stem in your hand. You can hold it — it is not impossible — but you cannot hold it , and if you close your fist the thorns go in. Every use of thorny can be read off that feeling in the hand: not "you must not touch this", but "touching this has a cost".
可以想成手裡握著一根玫瑰的莖。握得住，不是不能碰，但不能隨便握；手一用力，刺就進去了。thorny 的每一個用法都可…更多收起
可以想成手裡握著一根玫瑰的莖。握得住，不是不能碰，但不能隨便握；手一用力，刺就進去了。thorny 的每一個用法都可以從這個手感去想：重點不是「不准碰」，而是「碰了要付出代價」。有些植物是真的長著刺，有些問題一提出來就會扎到人，有些人靠近時也要小心。From the word’s history
thorn + -y, from Old English þorniġ, so the word literally says "having thorns"; the hand-feel meaning is the oldest one.
來源記錄顯示這個字是 thorn（刺）加 -y（帶有…的），可以追到古英文 þorniġ。也就是說，字面上它本來就只是「長著刺的」。所以實際的刺是最早的意思，其他用法都是後來借用同一個手感。
packet evidence: Wiktionary etymology for thorny — "From Middle English thorny, þorny, þorni, from Old English þorniġ… By surface analysis, thorn + -y." (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1076335126:20806)
Three branches
一碰就扎人的問題
把手感換到抽象的事情上：有些問題你一伸手就會被扎到。
adjective · C1
A thorny question, problem, issue or subject is one that is complicated and hard to deal with, and likely to cause trouble for anyone who handles it carelessly.
棘手的（問題）
刺長到人身上
同樣的刺，這次長在人身上：靠近他的人要小心。
adjective · C1
Someone who is thorny keeps other people at a distance and is easily annoyed, so talking to them feels like reaching into a plant full of thorns.
（人）帶刺、冷淡易怒的