1. According to etymologist Barry Popik, the phrase's earliest iteration was "hissy" or "hissy fit" in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in the 1920s. The term was used to refer to a tantrum or a state of emotional upset and irritability, often associated with children or women. Popik argues that the term "hissy" in AAVE was used as an adjective to describe someone prone to emotional outbursts or displays of anger, and the term "hissy fit" referred specifically to an episode of such emotional behavior.
2. The second theory suggests that the phrase might have its origins in the sound created by a snake as it hisses. While the phrase is often used to refer to a tantrum or a display of anger or displeasure, it was also used in Victorian England to refer to the hissing sound produced by women wearing bustles, which was considered fashionable at the time. This explanation aligns with the term "fit" referring to a sudden attack or seizure, similar to an epileptic fit or convulsion.
Regardless of its exact origin, the phrase "hissy fit" has become widely used to describe a display of anger, irritability, or a temper tantrum, and has become a part of everyday language.