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chip on one's shoulder

A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harboured grievance, sense of inferiority, or having something to prove.

Etymology:

  • The saying originated during the 19th century in the United States, where people wanting a physical fight would carry a chip of wood on their shoulder, daring others to knock it off. Printed citations of this include the Long Island Telegraph, which on May 20th, 1830, printed:
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He really has a chip on his shoulder about being passed over for that promotion.

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Submitted on September 01, 2009

Additional definitions for 'chip on one's shoulder':

chip on one's shoulderA form of challenge in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.
chip on one's shoulderA tendency to take offence quickly.
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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to chip on one's shoulder

Chip Off the Old Blockchip awayclean up one's actchip off the old blockcold onechip inChip on Your Shoulderchange one's tunechip shotChinaman on one's backchip shotchange one's mindchip shotChinaman on one's back

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    "chip on one's shoulder." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/chip-on-ones-shoulder_2892>.

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