sassy

Jan.17のThe Japan Times Onlineの記事に大阪人の気質に触れている個所がありました。
Comparing Osaka with almost any other Japanese city is akin to likening a bloodied steak to boiled chicken. Its people, a sassy, friendly breed, with a legendary, often ribald sense of humor, carry a swagger you don’t see elsewhere. Unlike Tokyo, where the stranger is largely ignored or, at best, banished to peripheral vision, in Osaka you are sized up: its men and women look you straight in the eye, your presence is frankly appraised.
"sassy" が分からないので辞書を引きます。
・Oxford English Dictionary: Lively, bold, and full of spirit; cheeky: She manages a brash, confident, and sassy manner that works well in the part, but is not overdone to the point of being unwelcome.
・Cambridge English Dictionary:
a. rude and showing no respect: a sassy young girl
b. confident or showing confidence: a sassy little black dress
・Vocabulary.com: Sassy means "bold or fresh." If you see your teacher in the grocery store with her attractive, well-dressed husband and you charge right over to say, "Who's the hunk?" that's being very sassy.
Sassy comes from saucy, as in: bold, spicy, and impertinent. It's fun to be sassy when talking with friends, but when you start saying things to teachers, bosses, and other people's parents that would embarrass a more timid or manners-minded person, you probably have crossed the line from sassy to inappropriate. The same goes for sassy dressers you have to know when to leave the neon heels at home.
"sassy" は "saucy" から来た言葉ですか。大阪の寿司屋で筆で変わった味の醤油（？）やタコ焼きにかけてあるソースを思い起こしました。