Chop chop (phrase)

"Chop chop" is a derogatory phrase first noted in the interaction between Cantonese and English people in British concessions in Southern China.^[1][2] It spread through Chinese workers at sea and was adopted by British seamen.^[3] "Chop chop" means "hurry" and suggests that something should be done now and without delay. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "chopsticks" originates from this same root.^[4]

The term may have its origins in the South China Sea, as a Pidgin English version of the Cantonese term cuk1 cuk1 (Chinese: 速速), meaning 'quick', which in turn is similar in usage to the Mandarin term kuài kuài (Chinese: 快快)^[3] or may have originated from Malay.^[2]

See also

• Chinese Pidgin English