chippy

adj. irritable, tempermental, or fractious. Subjects: English, Sports & Recreation, Colloquial

Editorial Note: Oxford English Dictionary cites this meaning as early as 1885 as a colloquial form of ‘given to chipping, ready to chip.’ In recent decades in North America it has become most commonly, though not exclusively, used in connection to sports play, especially hockey, where it is perhaps reinforced by the idea of rough play causing the ice to chip.

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Citations: 1959 Don Maclean Lethbridge Herald (Alberta, Can.) (Nov. 26) “Native Sons Gain Entry in Five-Team Hockey Loop” p. 10: The game was wide open with end-to-end rushes and very little chippy stuff and few penalties. 1978 Allen Abel Globe and Mail (Toronto, Can.) (Apr. 24) “Spare us the tales of hockey heroics” p. S1: Tonight’s game was a little chippy, conceded Roger Neilson. We’re trying to play as rough as we can. 1985 Chet Kaufman Baton Rouge State Times (La.) (Aug. 2) “North looks toward gold in ice hockey” p. 3-Spec.: “The boys did get a little chippy” in Thursday night’s game, said North head coach Frank Anzalone. “We just don’t want to see the boys dropping our gloves and fighting and an American sports festival. There is no fighting here. We don’t tolerate it.” 1988 Globe and Mail (Toronto, Can.) (June 4) “Wheels within wheels” p. D6: Out of a somewhat chippy summit meeting in Moscow, the superpower leaders have agreed through gritted teeth that each side has a lot to learn about the other. 2003 NFL.com (Nov. 13) “Del Rio excited about new acquisition”: Speaking of Tennessee, things have gotten a touch shall we say “chippy” between your team and the Tennessee Titans, with whom there’s been a little bit of a verbal jousting going on this week. 2004 Christian Aagaard Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Ontario, Can.) (Aug. 25) “Special-ed spending spree bites hand that feeds system” p. B1: Because the current relationship the board has with the top politician running the Ministry of Education—the hand that feeds—has, shall we say, been somewhat chippy of late. 2004 Don Banks Yahoo! Sports (Oct. 3) “Head games”: Every once in a while, all the goodwill goes out the window. Every once in a while, things still get nasty and more than a little chippy. 2004 Patrick Reusse Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.) (Oct. 24) “Patrick Reusse: The baseball gods must be angry”: The nonsensical night was not restricted to the ballplayers. Francona was wrapping up his interview session when a radio guy who had seen too many Patriots games asked: “Coach, do you think the long playoffs these two teams were in caused it to be chippy tonight?” Baseball has managers, and chippy isn’t part of baseball jargon. “Could you ask that again?” Francona said. “You said coach and chippy in the same sentence. I got lost there.”

Posted 25 Oct 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend