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Explore the meaning, origin, and examples of champing at the bit vs. chomping at the bit for a deeper understanding of this intriguing linguistic phenomenon.
- English Teacher
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What does “chomping at the bit” mean?
Is chomping at the bit the same as champing at a bit?
What does “champing at a bit” mean?
When did 'chomping at the bit' become a word?
It points out that "champing at the bit can sound funny to people who aren't familiar with the idiom or the obsolete sense of champ, while most English speakers can infer the meaning of...
The meaning of CHAMPING AT THE BIT is waiting in an impatient way to do something. How to use champing at the bit in a sentence.
Jul 30, 2014 · 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.
- Ngram shows a wider use of champing/chomping at the bit , probably indicating that they are the more appropriate ones. be champing/chomping at the...
- The origin of this idiom comes from the habit of some horses to chew on the metal bit attached to their reins while impatient or anxious. I've alwa...
- They mean different things. "Champing at the bit" means impatience. "Chafing" at the bit" means disliking being under the control of someone/someth...
- 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 f...
- John Ayto, Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms , third edition (2009) provides a single entry for "champ at the bit" and "chafe at the bit": champ...
- It's 'champing at the bit.'Authority is David Niven using this expression in 'The Guns of Navarone'.
- The week of October 26, 2015, Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully said he was "chafing at the bit" for his return in the 2016 baseball season....
- I've heard chaffing and champing used since the 1950's, and increasingly chomping at the bit since sometime in the 80's, and assumed it was a mista...
- Chafe is to be rubbed raw or irritated, and champ is to chew or bite down. So while nowdays champ, chomp, and chafe at the bit are used to express...
The meaning of GNAW AT is to be a source of worry or concern to (someone). How to use gnaw at in a sentence.
“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 eating.
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. I expect you're champing at the bit, so we'll get things going as soon as we can.