chop
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What am I, chopped liver?
A semi-serious expression of frustration, anger, or indignation at having been overlooked and/or regarded as inferior. The phrase likely originated as a part of Jewish humor, referring to the serving of chopped liver as a common side dish (thus overlooked in favor of the main course), the taste of which many do not find appealing. A: "Mary is so smart, talented, and creative, I wish she were my best friend!" B: "And what am I then, chopped liver?" They said they wanted to hire someone else for the job. What am I, chopped liver?
chop logic
To argue in a tedious or pedantic way. I can't stand the way he chops logic! You can't have a conversation without him turning it into some tiresome fight!
See also: chop
pork chop
1. A thick cut of meat from a pig. Often used in the plural when it is prepared as a meal. Well, at least sit down and have a pork chop with us before you go out! Mom said that she's making pork chops for dinner tonight, so don't be late!
2. offensive slang A black person who acts submissively toward white people.
chop and change
To continually change one's course of action, to the confusion or irritation of others. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. When we chop and change this much, it frustrates our customers. We need to set a schedule and stick to it.
chop back
To prune something, such as trees, bushes, or plants. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "back." I need to chop back this tree because it's so overgrown that I can barely open my car door anymore.
chop chop
informal Hurry up! Move faster! This is a major client, so I need the report done right now, chop chop! Chop chop, people, we need to make 20 more before we're done.
See also: chop
chop down
1. To fell; to cut down. Usually refers to cutting down a tree. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "down." We had to chop down that old tree to keep it from falling onto our house. It would be a shame to have to chop that old oak down just to make room for a parking lot.
2. To destroy or reject something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "down." Now that the CEO has chopped down our idea, we need to come up with something better.
chop off
1. To cut something off of something else. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "off." We had to chop off that branch because it was in danger of falling on our house. I decided to chop my hair off because I needed a change in my life.
2. To stop someone abruptly while they are talking. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "off." I had to chop him off because his boring story was putting me to sleep.
get the chop
1. To lose one's job. You're going to get the chop if you keep coming into work late.
2. To be eliminated, as of a service or program. Your know our charity program will be the first to get the chop if the hospital loses funding.
be for the chop
1. To be on the verge of losing one's job. You'll be for the chop if you keep coming into work late.
2. To be on the verge of being eliminated, as of a service or program. Our charity program is definitely for the chop if the hospital loses funding.
See also: chop
not much chop
Not as good as what was expected, required, or demanded; not satisfactory or adequate. Primarily heard in Australia, Canada. Jim, I know you've had a lot on your plate, but these reports just aren't much chop. I used to eat there all the time, but to be honest their food hasn't been much chop recently.
chop out
To remove something, as by slicing or cutting (literally or figuratively). A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "out." When you edit his piece, be sure not to chop all the personality out of it.
chop up
1. Literally, to cut or slice something into smaller pieces. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "up." Can you chop up the onions for the stew? Chop up the lumber so we can use it for firewood.
2. By extension, to split something into smaller sections. A noun or pronoun can be used between "chop" and "up." This paragraph was way too long, so I chopped it up.
chop someone off
Fig. to stop someone in the middle of a sentence or speech. (Abruptly, as if actually chopping or cutting.) I'm not finished. Don't chop me off! The moderator chopped off the speaker.
chop (someone or something) (up) (into something)
to cut something up into something smaller, perhaps with an axe or a cleaver. The butcher chopped up the beef loin into small fillets. I chopped up the onion into little pieces.
chop something back
to prune vegetation; to reduce the size of plants by cutting. Why don't you chop those bushes back while you have the shears out? Chop back the bushes, please.
chop something down
1. Lit. to cut down something, such as a tree, with an ax. Please don't chop my favorite tree down. Don't chop down this tree!
2. Fig. to destroy something, such as a plan or an idea. The committee chopped the idea down in its early stages. They chopped down a great idea!
chop something off (of) something
and chop something offto cut something off something, as with an axe or saw. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) We chopped the dead branches off the tree. You should chop off the other branch.
get the axe
orget the chop
1. If someone gets the axe or gets the chop, they lose their job. Note: `Axe' is spelled `ax' in American English. Business managers, executives and technical staff are all getting the axe. I've often wondered whether I'd have got the chop, if I'd stayed long enough to find out. Note: You can also say that someone is given the axe or is given the chop. She was last night given the axe from the hit TV show.
2. If something such as a project or part of a business gets the axe or gets the chop, it is ended suddenly. Note: `Axe' is spelled `ax' in American English. That is one of the TV shows likely to get the axe. Services to major towns and cities across England are getting the chop or being reduced. Note: You can also say that something is given the axe or is given the chop. A few days previously, the Westoe Colliery, the last pit in the region, was given the axe.
be for the chop
BRITISH, INFORMALCOMMON
1. If someone is for the chop, they are about to lose their job. There are rumours that he's for the chop. Note: You can also say that someone faces the chop with the same meaning. He must play by next week or face the chop for the Challenge Cup final. Note: You can say that someone gets the chop, meaning they lose their job. He had hardly settled into his new job when he got the chop due to cutbacks. Note: You can also say that someone is trying to avoid the chop when they are trying not to lose their job. They are turning up to work earlier, and leaving later, in a bid to avoid the chop.
2. If something is for the chop, it is not going to be allowed to continue or remain. He won't say which programmes are for the chop. Note: You can say that something gets the chop, meaning it is not allowed to continue or remain. Some of the scenes that got the chop in America will be put back in for the Australian release. Note: The chop is also used in other structures and expressions with a similar meaning. Weekly broadcasts are now threatened with the chop. These are loss-making factories that deserve the chop. Compare with get the axe.
See also: chop
chop and change
BRITISHCOMMON If someone chops and changes, they keep changing their plans, often when it is not necessary. After chopping and changing for the first year, they have settled down to a stable system of management. All this chopping and changing serves no useful purpose. Note: This expression was originally used to refer to people buying and selling goods. To `chop' meant to trade or barter, and `change' came from `exchange'.
not much chop
AUSTRALIAN, INFORMALIf something or someone is not much chop, they are not very good at something or are of poor quality. The horses he beat were not much chop. My husband's not much chop when it comes to sharing the housework. Note: The usual British expression is not much cop.
chop and change
change your opinions or behaviour repeatedly and abruptly, often for no good reason. British informalBoth chop and change originally had the sense of ‘barter’, ‘exchange’, or ‘buy and sell’, but as this sense of chop became dated the meaning of the whole expression shifted to its present one.
chop logic
argue in a tiresomely pedantic way; quibble.Chop is here used in the 16th-century sense meaning ‘bandy words’. This sense is now obsolete, and the sense of chop used in this phrase was later wrongly understood as ‘cut something into small pieces’.
See also: chop
not much chop
no good; not up to much. Australian & New Zealand informalThe sense of chop in this expression originated in the Hindi word chap meaning ‘official stamp’. Europeans in the Far East extended the use of the word to cover documents such as passports to which an official stamp or impression was attached and in China it came to mean ‘branded goods’. From this, in the late 19th century, chop was used to refer to something that had ‘class’ or had been validated as genuine or good.
1947 Dan Davin The Gorse Blooms Pale I know it's not been much chop so far but we're only getting started.
be for the ˈchop
(British English, informal)1 (of a person) be likely to be dismissed from a job: Who’s next for the chop?
2 (of a plan, project, etc.) be likely to be stopped or ended
This refers to chopping (= cutting) a person’s head off with an axe as a punishment.
See also: chop
ˌchop and ˈchange
(British English, informal) change your plans, opinions or methods too often: I wish he’d make up his mind — I’m tired of all this chopping and changing.get/be given the ˈchop
(British English, informal)1 (of a person) be dismissed from a job: The whole department has been given the chop.
2 (of a plan, project, etc.) be stopped or ended: Three more schemes have got the chop.
See above note at be for the chop.
not much ˈchop
(AustralE, New Zealand, informal) not very good or useful: The movie’s not much chop. ♢ I’ve baked a few cakes, but I’m not much chop in the kitchen.This comes from a Hindi word for an official seal. It was used in China and other Asian countries to refer to goods of a certain quality and from this came to mean ‘good quality’ in general.chop off
v.
To cut something short by or as if by chopping; curtail something: The barber chopped my ponytail off. The butcher chopped off a hunk of meat for me.
chop out
v.
To remove something by chopping or cutting; excise something: I chopped out a big piece of wood from the log. The editor always chops all the jokes out of the manuscripts.
chop up
v.
1. To cut something into small pieces with a sharp tool: The cook chopped up the parsley. I chopped an onion up and added it to the soup.
2. To divide something into smaller segments: The editor chopped the manuscript up into distinct chapters. I chopped up the long drive by making frequent stops.
chop
n. a rude remark; a cutting remark. That was a rotten chop! Take it back!
chopped liver
n. someone or something worthless. And who am I? Chopped liver?
chop-shop
n. a place where stolen cars are cut or broken up into car parts for resale. The state is cracking down on these chop-shops.
on the chopping block
mod. in serious and threatening straits. Until this is resolved, our necks are on the chopping block.