A San Diego, California, guy says his high school history teacher used the phrase chop chop wiki wiki meaning “Hurry up!” The first part of this phrase comes from similar-sounding Cantonese words — the source also of the chop in chopsticks — and the...
A high school student called in to ask about a term his peers use for flirting: chopping. Ever heard it? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Chopping and Flirting” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, my name is Henry Nieberg. I’m...
What does it mean to have chops? In the 1500s, chops was a slang term for the face or lips, but it carried into African-American jazz culture to mean that a brass or wind player had good embouchure. The idea is reflected in the old jazz musician’s...
