Explore a Great Selection Of Sports & Fitness Equipment, Available At Great Prices. Prime Members Can Enjoy Unlimited Free Shipping, Early Access To Lightning Deals and More. Champing (or chomping) at the bit was first used to explain the imagery of a restless horse grinding its teeth against its bit (part of the bridle) when being held under control. Fast forward to today, the expression highlights a person's impatience to get something done or to get moving.
Champ or Chomp at the Bit? Quick and Dirty Tips
Mark Memmott The listener could have complained that "chomping at the bit" is a cliché, and that it's one we've used at least three times so far this month. But his gripe was more specific —. : waiting in an impatient way to do something We've all been champing at the bit to get started on the project. The team was chomping at the bit for their chance to play the defending champions. Examples of champing at the bit in a Sentence The meaning of "champing at the bit" came to be by the observation of the pre-race behavior that horses exhibit moments before they are set out to race. Why "Champing" And Not "Chomping" First you need to know why was "chomping" ever used in the place of "champing". The verb 'champ' means 'to make a biting or chewing action with the jaws and teeth". Of course, it was horses that were first said to be 'champing at the bit'; the bit being the mouthpiece of a horse's bridle. The earliest citation of 'champ at the bit' that I can find comes in the Reverend Charles Lucas's work Joseph, a religious poem, 1810:
Champing vs. Chomping Sayings, How to find out, Champs
To chomp is to chew or bite something. When we connect the word chomp to the phrase 'champing on the bit,' we get the action of the horses chomping or biting the metal (bit) in their strap. Champing is the correct word to use in the context of this idiom because it has no figurative meaning. Oh, and "champing" and "chomping" stem from the same Middle English word chammen, which became champen. "Champing at the bit," when used figuratively rather than literally—forget the actual horses—means to be eager to start or to be anxious to get moving. "Chomping" also deals with biting down, but it usually has to do with. Definition of 'champ at the bit' champ at the bit or to chomp at the bit phrase If someone is champing at the bit or is chomping at the bit, they are very impatient to do something, but they are prevented from doing it, usually by circumstances that they have no control over. 4 I read recently that was describing a cavalry, full of "horses champing on their bits, eager to rush forwards into the fray." I have always known it as "chomping". Is "champing" a typo? Is "chomping" or "champing" correct? orthography grammaticality Share Improve this question Follow edited Jun 2, 2011 at 6:03 asked Jun 2, 2011 at 5:48 Thursagen
Stable influence first guide horse chomping at bit News The Times
CHAMP AT THE BIT definition: 1. to be eager and not willing to wait to do something 2. to be eager and not willing to wait to do…. Learn more. The correct term is champing at the bit, not chomping. As a verb, to champ means to bite or grind your teeth impatiently. To chomp means to chew food noisily. Champing at the bit refers to a horse that has been bridled and wants to run, but has to stand there while the rider gets ready. The horse is signalling its impatience.
(also be ˌchafing at the bit more ) be impatient to do or to start doing something: The players were champing at the bit as the start of the match was delayed. ♢ I know you're chafing at the bit, so we'll start as soon as we can. Champ and chomp mean to bite or eat something noisily. Regional Usage In British English, the phrase "champing at the bit" is more prevalent, adhering to the term's original equestrian roots. Meanwhile, American English favors "chomping at the bit", embracing the linguistic evolution that saw 'chomp' replace 'champ' in many scenarios. 'Champ' and 'Chomp' in Literature and Popular Culture
Chomping at the Bit Magazine
Definition of be champing/chomping at the bit in the Idioms Dictionary. be champing/chomping at the bit phrase. What does be champing/chomping at the bit expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Be champing/chomping at the bit - Idioms by The Free Dictionary. To champ means to bite or grind something noisily with the teeth, especially when angry or impatient. It comes from the Old French word champer, which means to bite. Whereas to chomp means to munch or chew vigorously or with a noisy biting or chewing action. Many dictionaries agree that chomp is a byform or alteration of champ.
