suggesting a growth of thistles, esp. in being difficult or painful to handle
a thistly set of problems
Word origin
[1590–1600; thistle + -y1]This word is first recorded in the period 1590–1600. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: attack, fixture, jolt, radius, tea-y is a native English suffix of adjectives meaning “characterized by or inclined to”the substance or action of the word or stem to which the suffix is attached. Otherwords that use the affix -y include: dreamy, grouchy, juicy, rumbly