in an angry or furiously resentful
fit; with an irate illfeeling due to some offense. High is used here with the meaning of intense or great. Dudgeon is a feeling of
anger, resentment or
ill humor. Dudgeon is also the name of a
type of
fine-grained wood, possibly maple, that was used in medieval
times for making knife handles and dagger hilts, and hence, a dagger
having such a
handle. Although uncertain, the original
use of the
phrase may have been an allusion to such a dagger. In the 1500s-1600s when the
phrase was current, if offended, one sometimes resorted to drawing a dagger to avenge himself or maintain his
honor.