to go against the grain
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Against one's inclination. The allusion is to wood, which cannot be easily planed the wrong way of the grain.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to go against the grain” mean?
Against one's inclination. The allusion is to wood, which cannot be easily planed the wrong way of the grain.
Is “to go against the grain” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.