“Chop-chop” is a slang term used to tell someone to hurry up, often accompanied by a clap of the hands. Its origins come from sailors who picked up the Chinese term “k’wai-k’wai” meaning “hurry up”. The term is a form of reduplication, which is common in many languages. However, some find the term patronizing and offensive due to its historical use towards servants and domestic staff.
English speakers say “chop-chop” when they want someone to hurry. The term is often aimed at children and below and may be accompanied by a clap of the hands to emphasize the urgency of the situation and a desire to see the command promptly obeyed. While this term is closely associated with British English, it can also be heard in other English-speaking nations.
The origins of this term are rather convoluted and to get to the bottom of it we will have to put out to sea. Sailors have used the slang term “chop” in various senses since at least the 1600s, and as sailors began entering the South China Sea in large numbers, they were exposed to the Chinese term “k’wai-k’wai,” which means “hurry up” or “make haste”. Over time, sailors picked up on the duplication in the Chinese sentence, but started using their own English slang term, and “chop-chop” was born around the 19th century.
When a word or sound is repeated to create a new word or to give extra emphasis, it is known in linguistics as “reduplication”. Reduplication is a common feature in many languages and is especially common in slang terms. A related slang term from Hawaii, “wiki-wiki,” also means “hurry up,” and many other languages have similar examples of reduplication in slang that are meant to tell people to get moving. Perhaps the duplication is meant to express impatience or restlessness.
However, “chop-chop” also entered the Cantonese pidgin, a version of Cantonese spoken in China’s ports that bridged the communication gap between Chinese and English-speaking sailors. English settlers and settlers also used pidgin versions of Chinese with their servants and staff, and chop-chop entered the landlubber lexicon as a result.
Some find the term “chop-chop” patronizing and offensive, because it was historically used as an expression of contempt for servants and domestic staff by settlers. It could also be seen as a corruption of a legitimate Chinese phrase, rather than a slang term in its own right, and some people prefer not to use it for that reason. Ultimately, the decision to say “chop-chop” or not is up to you, although you may wonder how you would feel if someone yelled “chop-chop” and clapped your hands to persuade you to hurry.
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