chops

Multiple Entries:
  chops    chop  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
chops/tʃɒps/

▶plural noun informal

• 1 a person's or animal's mouth, jaws, or cheeks.

• 2 the technical skill of a jazz or rock musician.

– phrases
bust one's chops N. Amer. informal exert oneself.
bust someone's chops N. Amer. informal nag or criticize someone.

– origin ME: var. of chap3.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
chop1

▶verb (chops, chopping, chopped)

• 1 cut with repeated sharp, heavy blows of an axe or knife.

  ■ strike with a short, heavy blow.

• 2 ruthlessly abolish or reduce in size.

▶noun

• 1 a downward cutting blow or movement.

• 2 a thick slice of meat, especially pork or lamb, adjacent to and usually including a rib.

• 3 (the chop) Brit. informal dismissal, cancellation, or killing.

• 4 N. Amer. crushed or ground grain used as animal feed.

• 5 a broken motion of waves.

– phrases
chop logic argue in a tiresomely pedantic way. [C16: from a dial. use of chop meaning ‘bandy words’.]

– origin ME: var. of chap1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
chop2

▶verb (chops, chopping, chopped) (in phr. chop and change) Brit. informal change one's opinions or behaviour repeatedly and abruptly.

– origin ME (in the sense ‘barter, exchange’): perh. rel. to OE cēap ‘bargaining, trade’; cf. chap- in chapman.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
chop3

▶noun archaic a trademark or brand of goods.

– phrases
not much chop Austral./NZ informal unsatisfactory.

– origin C19: from Hindi chāp ‘stamp, brand’.