When referring to someone’s musical ability. I really do. Why not just say they play well? “Chops” makes my skin crawl. It’s a stupid term and everyone must stop using it.
Thank You.
acting too! where the hell did that come from? I wouldn’t use the term if you paid me. when others use it, i just think small town wannabe star.
Personally, I hate the expression ‘chop-chop’ (for ‘do it quickly’). My wife picked up this expression somewhere and it’s really pissing me off.
O.K., from now on, instead of saying a guy’s got chops, we will say “That cat’s a motherfucker”.
(I hope this post is good - I’m still working on my Pit chops).
You must be a youngster, or not familiar with jazz. “Man, you got some chops” is high praise to a musician, especially if he/she learned to play when you could still make music with the electricity off. Anyway, if you don’t like the term, don’t use it. Who made you the “terminology monitor” anyway?
Yeah, I know this is the Pit, but this rant doesn’t exactly stir the viscera.
I really like pork chops. Is that okay?
mmmmmm, pork chops
Mmmm…muttonchops…
DG, thanks for chiming in. Until you posted, I had no clue to what the OP was referring.
I’m not a wind musician, so someone correct me if I’m totally wrong…
My high school music teacher played trumpet. (I’d link to an article the local newspaper just did about him but I guess they don’t put that stuff online…)
I distinctly recall him explaining to the kids playing trumpet, and perhaps other brass instruments, to “use their chops” a certain way, or do something with their chops as opposed to using the valve… Or that after playing for a long time his chops might hurt. I took from this that “chops” literally meant lips or mouth, so that if someone said “Maynard Fergusons got some chops” they’re complementing a physical attribute, as well as the musical talent.
Or am I just nuts?
Im not a youngster, I AM quite familiar and fond of jazz. I realise it’s a compliment, I just really dislike the term.
Here you go… Chops.
“‘Chops’ in this case probably harks back to its original 16th century slang meaning of ‘mouth’ or ‘lips,’ a ‘bust in the chops’ being the equivalent of a punch in the mouth.”
“Chops” for “mouth” or “lips” has been around for over 400 years, apparently, so I’m pretty sure your dislike is not going to make much impact.
Mutton bearers would fear that guy. Hell, I do myself.
Literally, it means “lips”, but if you say someone “has chops”, you are referring to their ability, not the size of their lips. In fact, it has become such a widespread term, that it’s used for ANY musician, not just brass players. It wouldn’t be unusual for me to say you have Guitar chops.
For the most part, everyone has the muscles needed to successfully play a brass instrument; it’s just a matter of building them up and training them. It’s not like Maynard was born with unusual lips or anything - It’s just that he had talent and was willing to put in some practice time.
But if you say something like: “Man, my chops are beat”, then you ARE literally referring to your lips.
Hey, Quintas was just voicing his opinion, don’t bust his chops! 
Ooo, too much playing today. I totally blew my chops.
Quintas, there is a thread in IMHO (or maybe MPSIMS) about words in the English language one hates for some reason. That sounds like the place you might want to voice your opinion.
But did everybody like the movie “CHOMPS”? That’s the real question.
No, but I sat through part of C.H.U.D. Does that count?
“chop-chop” is pidgin (simplified speech used by the British to comunicate with Eastern Asians during their imperialist era.) It evolved from the Cantonese kap, meaning fast. Also, in case you were wondering, “pidgin” is a corruption of “business” and thus “pidgin English” is “business English” - a simple way for the two cultures to communicate in matters of basic commerce.
Gimme some pork chops! Chop-chop! Oops, uh, I mean, yeah. Vite! Vite! 