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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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 Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:23 pm Post subject: What is the origin of "chop chop", meaning to do q |
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Just having a discussion with a Korean English teacher about this.
Anybody know the origin of this expression, meaning to do something quickly?
Thanks. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Comes from "chopsticks". Chinese word for chopsticks is "kuaizi". "kuai" means "fast". "zi" means "things". Fast eating things. |
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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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Cool. Thank you very much. Second question. In the west, can it be interpreted as a slur?
I'm thinking of that Rosie Odonell fracas recently where she said, "ching chong", and p---ed off a lot of people. |
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rothkowitz
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Koreans interpret it as "eat eat". |
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supernick
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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An older Korean asked me if i had chop, and I didn't know what he meant. From what I understand, eating time in the U.S. army mess hall was called chop, and I guess that's why they call it a chop house. I guess it did come from people using chop sticks because it sounded and looked like something done quickly.
There are many idioms and expressions that have come from the military that are very much apart of everyday English. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| poet13 wrote: |
Cool. Thank you very much. Second question. In the west, can it be interpreted as a slur?
I'm thinking of that Rosie Odonell fracas recently where she said, "ching chong", and p---ed off a lot of people. |
I'm not postive "chop chop" comes from "chopsticks" though. Could be the other way around. Chopping is fast hence "chop chop". There's also "chop shop".
I think you'd have to look for the etymology of "chop". If "chop" is know as fast then maybe the Chinese invented the word "chopsticks". |
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Novernae
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:01 am Post subject: |
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Etymology Online has this to say about chopsticks
| Etymology Online wrote: |
chopstick
1699, sailors' partial translation of Chinese k'wai tse "fast ones" or "nimble boys," first element from pidgin Eng. chop, from Cantonese kap "urgent." Chopsticks, the two-fingered piano exercise, is first attested 1893, probably from the resemblance of the fingers to chopsticks. |
Doesn't say anything about chop chop.
According to Wikipedia:
| Wikipedia wrote: |
| The English word chopstick seems to have been derived from Chinese Pidgin English, a pidgin where "chop chop" meant quickly. |
I had always assumed it came from the speed of the chopping motion. Learn something new everyday, eh? |
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