Chop chop (phrase)

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"Chop chop" is an English phrase meaning "hurry" and suggesting that something should be done without delay. The phrase first appeared in the interactions between Cantonese and English people in British concessions in Southern China, [1] [2] and was spread around the world by British seamen. [3]

Contents

Etymology

The term may have its origins in the South China Sea, as a Pidgin English version of the Cantonese term cuk1 cuk1 (Chinese :速速), meaning 'quick', which in turn is similar in usage to the Mandarin term kuài kuài (Chinese :快快) [3] or may have originated from Malay. [2] [ clarification needed ]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the word "chopsticks" originates from this same root. [4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Chinese English". The Penny Magazine. London: Charles Knight & Co. 19 May 1838. p. 190.
  2. 1 2 Gandhi, Lakshmi (24 February 2014). "Quick! What Are The Origins Of 'Chop-Chop'?". National Public Radio.
  3. 1 2 "Chop-chop". Phrase Finder. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "chop-stick, n.2". Oxford English Dictionary. 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
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