Also 5–6 chyppe, chype, 5–7 chippe, 6 chipp, shyppe. [Found since c. 1300: immediately connected with CHIP v.1; though the sense is not that of a verbal sb., as in a cut, a knock, etc.]
1. A small, and esp. thin, piece of wood, stone, or other material, separated by hewing, cutting or breaking; a thin fragment chopped or broken off. (Unless otherwise specified, understood to be of wood, and to mean those made by the wood-cutter and carpenter in course of their work.)
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 91. Þat hewis ouer his heued, þe chip falles in his ine.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 75. Chyppe, quisquilie, assula.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks., 291. For caryinge of ij. lodes of chippes xd.
a. 1528. Skelton, Col. Cloute, 245. Lyke sawdust or drye chyppes.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., III. II. (Arb.), 144. He broke the dartes into a thousande chyppes.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 259/1. Water, wherin hath bin sodden chippes of Iuniper.
1764. Harmer, Observ., XIV. v. 226. Lighted by chips of deal full of turpentine, burning in a round iron frame.
1837. Lytton, E. Maltrav. (1851), 46. Dry chips … are the things for making a blaze.
1844. P. Parley’s Annual, V. 369. The clattering of a chip of tile from the battlements.
1873. Hale, In His Name, v. 26/2. Chips on the ground showed that the wood-cutters had taken out some saplings there.
fig. a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks. (1557), 47. That weigh … A chippe of chance more than a pounde of wit.
1575. Churchyard (title), The Firste parte of Churchyardes Chippes.
1648. Herrick, Hesper. (Grosart), II. 169. For kissing love’s dissembling chips The fire scortcht my heart.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., xvi. § 4 (1669), 66/1. Some indeed he cuts down by Chips in Consumptive diseases, they dye by piece-meals.
1862. Max Müller (title), Chips from a German Workshop.
2. spec. † a. A paring of bread-crust; = CHIPPING vbl. sb. 2 a. Obs.
c. 1440. in Househ. Ord. (1790), 456. With a fewe Chippes of light bred stepet in vernage.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., July, 188. Theyr sheepe han crustes, and they the bread; the chippes, and they the chere.
b. Cookery. A thin irregular slice of a fruit, etc.
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 233. Put salt in the water for either oranges preserved, or any kind of orange chips. Ibid., 243. To make Orange Chips.
1796. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xxi. 341. Take your apricots or peaches, pare them and cut them very thin into chips.
c. Naut. A small quadrant-shaped piece of wood at the end of the log-line.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., s.v., The chip is loaded at the circular edge so as to float upright, about two thirds being immersed in water…. The chip or log being thrown overboard catches in the water and remains about stationary there, while the cord unwinds as the vessel proceeds.
d. A counter used in games of chance; hence, slang. a sovereign.
1873. Slang Dict., Chips, money.
1883. Miss Braddon, Phant. Fort., xli. (1884), 355. Divers values, from the respectable ‘pony’ to the modest ‘chip.’
3. Applied to the keys of a spinet or harpsichord (quot. 1600), chessmen (quot. 1645), etc.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., cxxviii. To be so tikled they [my lips] would change their state, And situation with those dancing chips, Ore whome thy fingers walke.
1645. Bp. Hall, Contentation, 37. A skilful player will not stirre one of these Chips, but with intention of an advantage.
4. As a material: Wood (or woody fiber) split into thin strips for making hats and bonnets.
1771. [see 9].
1784. Cowper, Lett., 21 March. A fashionable hat … a black one, if they are worn; otherwise chip.
1866. Treas. Bot., 270. Chip, a material used for plaiting into various articles of ornament and use, and obtained from the leaves of the palm called Thrinax argentea.
1888. Bow Bells, 22 June, 3. Some of these [bonnets] in chip or crinoline.
5. Taken as the type of a. anything worthless or trifling (see also not to care a chip, etc., in 8.); b. anything without flavor, innutritious, or ‘dry,’ dried up, scorched, parched.
a. 1639. W. Whateley, Prototypes, II. xxv. (1640), 46. He takes not the chips for excellent things, but reckons of them as of chips.
1675. Brooks, Gold. Key, Wks. 1867, V. 272. All the honours, riches, greatness, and glory of this world are but chips, toys, and pebbles to these glorious pearls.
1725. Dudley North, in North, Lives, II. 303. We had in the ship … fresh mutton … but all was chip to me.
1792. A. Young, Trav. France, 23. They roast every thing to a chip.
1857. J. G. Holland, Bay Path, viii. 100. Discussing some dry chip of a doctrine.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, xiv. 235. They [boots] were burned to a chip.
6. fig. Something forming a portion of, or derived from, a larger or more important thing, of which it retains the characteristic qualities. Usually applied to persons.
[1658. Osborn, Adv. Son (1673), 221. As most of the small Princes beyond the Alps, are themselves, or their wives, chips of the Cross.]
1815. Scribbleomania, 2. I rank with the Nine a true chip of Apollo.
1822. W. Irving, Braceb. Hall, xiii. 116. A dry chip of the University.
1873. Slang Dict., s.v. Chip, Brother chip, one of the same trade or profession. Originally brother carpenter, now general.
1884. Birmingham Daily Post, 28 July, 5/1. Even a Parnellite will help a brother chip when he is in distress.
b. † Chip of the same block: a person or thing derived from the same source or parentage. Chip of the old block: one that resembles his father, or reproduces the family characteristics; also applied to things.
1621. Sanderson, Serm., I. 205. Ibid. (1628), 123. Am not I a child of the same Adam, a vessell of the same clay, a chip of the same blocke, with him?
1642. Milton, Apol. Smect. (1851), 297. How well dost thou now appeare to be a Chip of the old block.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 126. Episcopacy (which they thought but a great chip of the old block Popery).
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 266 b. One Mr. Coke (a true Chip of the old Block).
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 265. A chip of the old block, Patris est filius.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), III. lxxxiii. 13–4. Here is this young whoremaster, (a true chip of the old venereal block his father), and myself, come for a comfortable cast of thy function.
1833. A. Fonblanque, Eng. under 7 Administr., II. 318. The crab is its mother’s child—a chip of the old block.
7. a. A crack or slight fracture caused by chipping. b. dial. An act of chipping, a cut with an ax, or adze.
Mod. colloq. One of the cups has got a chip on the edge. South Scotch. Let me take a chip at the tree.
8. Phrases. † Chip in one’s eye, etc. (obs.; see quots.). Not to care, etc., a chip (sense 5). † Such carpenters, such chips: as is the workman, such is his work. Chip in porridge (pottage, broth): an addition that does neither good nor harm, a thing of no moment.
1330. [see 1].
c. 1400. Test. Love, I. (1560), 279 b/2. For an old Proverbe it is ledged, He that heweth to hie, with chippes he may lese his sight.
c. 1430. Lydg., in Anglia, IX. II. 112. Me list nat to hewe chippes ouer myn hede.
c. 1530. R. Hilles, Common-pl. Bk. (1858), 140. Clyme not to hye lest chypys fall yn thyn eie.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & Fl., xxxix. 52. Thei differ not a chip. Ibid. (1562), Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 14. So playde these twayne, as mery as three chipps. Ibid., II. vii. Suche Carpenters, suche chips.
1577. Stanyhurst, Descr. Irel., iii. in Holinshed, VI. 17. I weigh not two chips which waie the wind bloweth.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 467. Looketh high, as one yat feareth no chips.
1603. Breton, Dignitie or Indig. of Men, 197. Who looketh hye, may have ‘a Chip fall in his Eye.’
1675. Cotton, Scoffer Scoft, 115. I know, but care not of a Chip.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, I. xvii. 108. The Sextile is no Chip in Broth … but a very considerable Engine.
1688. Vox Cleri Pro Rege, 56. A sort of Chip in Pottage, which (he hopes) will not do Popery much good, nor the Church of England much harm.
1868. ‘Holme Lee,’ B. Godfrey, II. xxxi. 86. Basil did not care a chip.
1880. Ch. Times, 25 June (D.). The Burials Bill … is thought … to resemble the proverbial chip in porridge, which does neither good nor harm.
9. attrib. and Comb., as chip-bonnet, -hat (see 4); † chip-box, a small box made of thin wood. See also CHIP-AX.
1759. Ellis, in Phil. Trans., LI. 211. These seven parcels were all put into chip boxes.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl., 26 April. The ladies wear … chip hats.
1810. Ann. Reg., 418. Wooden boxes called chip-boxes or pill boxes.
1807. Vancouver, Agric. Devon (1813), 51. A deep and universal bed of chip sand, affording very good whetstones.
1859. W. S. Coleman, Woodlands (1862), 63. The wood of the White Willow has been extensively used in the manufacture of chip-hats.
