# An Old Drinking Toast Chin Chin

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-drinking-toast-chin-chin/228358>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 10, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-drinking-toast-chin-chin/228358 "2004-02-10T00:42:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jannal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jannal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jannal)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-drinking-toast-chin-chin/228358/1 "2004-02-10T00:42:16Z")

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I heard this spoken the other day in an old movie. Everyone raised their drinking glasses in a toast and said “Chin Chin”.

Where does the toast Chin Chin come from and  
What does it mean?

Thanks,  
Jannal

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-drinking-toast-chin-chin/228358/2 "2004-02-10T01:34:30Z")

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From the OED

> [@](#):
>
> 1795 M. SYMES Embassy to Ava 295 (Y.) We soon fixed them in their seats, both parties…repeating Chin Chin, Chin Chin, the Chinese term of salutation.

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-drinking-toast-chin-chin/228358/3 "2004-02-10T01:55:39Z")

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In Italian, where it is the standard toast, “cin cin”

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-drinking-toast-chin-chin/228358/4 "2004-02-10T02:22:23Z")

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I read somewhere that “chin chin” is a slang term for the penis in Japan (or was it Korea?). I remembered this because our family dog when I was a kid was named Chin-Chin. We had no idea.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-drinking-toast-chin-chin/228358/5 "2004-02-10T12:05:18Z")

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My dictionary says it is of 18th-century origin in English, and is derived “from Chinese (Peking) _ch’ing-ch’ing_: please please”.

Presumably this was said when offering food or drink.