subs. (common).—1. A blockhead.
1883. HAWLEY SMART, At Fault, II., i., 29. Such a long-winded old CHUMP at telling a story one don’t often see, thank goodness.
1887. Pall Mall Gazette, 2 Feb., p. 10, col. 1. Frank audibly remarked: ‘This man is a CHUMP. I could go … this minute and do bettet than that.’ [M.]
2. (popular).—A variant of CHUM, subs. (q.v.). French ma vieille branche = my old chump.
1884. Punch, 11 Oct. ‘’Arry at a Political Pic-nic.’
| All my Saturday arfs are devoted to Politics. Fancy, old CHUMP, | |
| Me doing the sawdusty reglar, and follering swells on the stump! |
3. (popular).—The head; especially in the phrase OFF ONE’S CHUMP (q.v.). For synonyms, see CRUMPET.
CHUMP-OF-WOOD, subs. phr. (rhyming slang).—No good. Also a blockhead.
OFF ONE’S CHUMP, phr. (vulgar).—Insane. Cf., OFF ONE’S HEAD, NUT, etc. For synonyms, see APARTMENTS.
c. 1860. Broadside Ballad, ‘We are a Merry Family.’
| The fire is out, the fender’s broke, | |
| And father’s out on strike, | |
| Sister Ann’s gone OFF HER CHUMP, | |
| In fact, we’re all alike. |
1866. Broadside Ballad, ‘Oh, She Was Such a Beautiful Girl.’
| She diddled me, she fiddled me, | |
| She sent me OFF MY CHUMP. |
1877. BESANT and RICE, This Son of Vulcan, II., xxiv., p. 377. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘have gone OFF HIS CHUMP—that’s all.’
1883. BESANT, The Captain’s Room, ch. vii., p. 85 (1885). He … was engaged to be married to the king’s sister … unfortunately, only the week before I arrived, he was killed and devoured by a lion, and the princess was gone OFF HER royal CHUMP.
TO GET ONE’S OWN CHUMP, phr. (thieves’).—See quot.
1877. W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iii. 242. ‘Cut her own grass! Good gracious, what is that?’ I asked. ‘Why, PURVIDE HER OWN CHUMP—earn her own living,’ the old man replied.
