go against the grain

Cultural  

1. To go contrary to someone's natural disposition: “Having to get up this early in the morning really goes against my grain.” This refers to the fact that someone who rubs his hand against the grain on a piece of lumber will get splinters.

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Example Sentences

But I am going to go against the grain here.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

"It's because these films are so beautiful, so unique and so strong that they sometimes go against the grain," said Binoche.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

These results go against the grain of current public policy practices that aim to promote healthy eating by relying on images of nutritious foods.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2023

But as long as food waste is a significant contributor to climate change, I will go against the grain, so to speak, to make an impact and hope my oddball ways catch on.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023

Their wives could, by no persuasion, be induced to speak English, so that, however it might go against the grain, the husbands were compelled to learn Irish and speak it habitually as best they might.

From Irish Race in the Past and the Present by Thebaud, Augustus J.