A belligerent attitude or grievance, as in Mary is easily offended; she always has a chip on her shoulder. This term actually was defined in a newspaper article (Long Island Telegraph, May 20, 1830): "When two churlish boys were determined to fight, a chip would be placed on the shoulder of one and the other demanded to knock it off at his peril."
[Early 1800s]
Chip on his shoulder
| Idioms: chip on one's shoulder |
| Best of the Web: Chip on his shoulder |
Some good "Chip on his shoulder" pages on the web:
 Phrase www.phrases.org.uk |
Learn More
 | Herbert, Jack (Quotes By) |
| Hannah, John A. (Quotes By) |
| Do or Die (1993 Album by Tim Dog) |
Help us answer these
 | Chip On What if your Shoulder is it correct sentence? |
| Use a chip on your shoulder in a sentence? |
| What does you have a chip on your shoulder mean? |
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
 |
 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
Related answers
- What does it mean when you have a chip on your shoulder?
- What is A chip on your shoulder means?
- What do shoulders do?
- Can you have a chip?
ADVERTISEMENT
Answer these
- A chip on his shoulder?
- A Chip On What if your Shoulder?
- Chip on your shoulder?
- What is the meaning of 'Chip on your shoulder'?
Mentioned in
- Herbert, Jack (Quotes By)
- Hannah, John A. (Quotes By)
- Do or Die (1993 Album by Tim Dog)
- chip (Idiom)
- Nicht Fummeln, Liebling (1970 Film)
- Haro (1978 Film)
- God's Crucible (1917 Film)
- Pecheur D'Islande (1933 Drama Film)
- Ani DiFranco (1989 Album by Ani DiFranco)
- Bif Naked (1995 Album by Bif Naked)
- Pipes & Flowers (1998 Album by Elisa)
- Ghost Rider (2007 Album by Christopher Young)
- Full Bore (2001 Album by The Half Empties)
- White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II (1993 Children's/Family Film)
