Crossword Genius

Sailor upset with bank gets more irritable (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rattier

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'more irritable' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are comparative adjectives. Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'sailor upset with bank' is the wordplay.
'sailor' becomes 'tar' (slang term for a sailor).
'upset' is a reversal indicator.
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'bank' becomes 'tier' (both can mean a row of similar things).
'tar' back-to-front is 'rat'.
'rat'+'tier'='RATTIER'

'gets' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for rattier that I've seen before include "more annoyed" , "more irritable mood" , "More bad tempered (colloquial)" , "Not so placid" , "more likely to snap?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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