chip on one's shoulder
English
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chip on one's shoulder
Where it comes from
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.
noun chips on one's shoulder
- A form of challenge, in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet. ‘Oh! if I only could get him to knock a chip off my shoulder, and so get round the law, I would give him one of the soundest thrashings he ever had.’
- A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harbored grievance, a sense of inferiority, or a desire to prove something. The city of Herculaneum […] held its neighbors in hearty contempt, like the youth who has suddenly found his man's strength, and parades round with a chip on his shoulder.
- A tendency to take offence quickly.
Translations
Every language
noun combative attitude
| Deutsch | Komplex, gewisse Abneigung |
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Talk about this word "chip on one's shoulder." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chip%20on%20one's%20shoulder. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. chip on one's shoulder. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chip%20on%20one's%20shoulder "chip on one's shoulder." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chip%20on%20one's%20shoulder.Cite this
@misc{chip_on_one_s_shoulder_2026,
title = {chip on one's shoulder},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chip%20on%20one's%20shoulder},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
