"Chop chop" is a phrase first noted in the interaction between Cantonese and English people in British concessions in Southern China. It spread through Chinese workers at sea and was adopted by British seamen. "Chop chop" means "hurry" and suggests that something should be done now and without delay. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "chopsticks" originates from this same root.
The term may have its origins in the South China Sea, as a Pidgin English version of the Cantonese term chok chok (Cantonese: 速速; jyutping: cuk1 cuk1), meaning quick, which in turn is similar in usage to the Mandarin term k'wâi-k'wâi (Chinese: 快快; pinyin: kuài kuài) or may have originated from Malay.
See also
References
- "Chinese English". The Penny Magazine. London: Charles Knight & Co. 19 May 1838. p. 190.
- ^ Gandhi, Lakshmi (24 February 2014). "Quick! What Are The Origins Of 'Chop-Chop'?". National Public Radio.
- ^ "Chop-chop". Phrase Finder. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- "chop-stick, n.2". Oxford English Dictionary. 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
External links
The dictionary definition of chop-chop at Wiktionary
