If one has a chip on one’s shoulder, they’re spoiling for a fight. The phrase derives from the old practice of literally putting a chip of wood or other small object on one’s shoulder and daring an adversary to knock the chip off...
Delope is a term used in duelling meaning to throw away one’s shot — specifically, to fire into the air rather than at an opponent. The word appears in The Art of Duelling from 1836 with the spelling dilope and the gloss “fire in the air.” The...