[Vision2020] Champ or Chump?

[Ron Force]

Right! but 200 years off.  Oxford English Dictionary:


chomp, v.
Formerly only dial. and U.S.

    Now a widespread variant of CHAMP v. (esp. in senses 1-3).
c1645 [see CHAMP v. 3]. 1714 [see CHAMPING vbl. n.1]. 1848 ‘T. TREDDLEHOYLE’
Bairnsla Ann. (E.D.D.) 52 A donkey chomping thisals. 1890 S. HALE Lett.
(1919) 254 We descended to the tug..sate on a settee in rugs, chomping up to
Southampton. 1940 J. STUART Trees of Heaven 164 Listen to 'em chomp their
grub. 1962 W. FAULKNER Reivers ix. 205 ‘What time you setting breakfast,
Good-looking?’ ‘The soonest time after your jaws is too far away to chomp
it.’ 1981 P. PORTER Eng. Subtitles 25 There have been parties of chomping
sightseers to show round.


3. intr. or absol. To make a biting and chewing action or movement with the
jaws and teeth.
1558 PHAËR Æneid IV. (R.) The palfrey..on the fomy bit of gold with teeth he
champes. 1583 STANYHURST Æneis IV. (Arb.) 99 On byt gingled he chaumpeth.
1613 HAYWARD Norm. Kings 198 To swallow downe that morsel which had bene so
unpleasant..to champe on. 1679 CROWNE Amb. Statesman III. 35 He has nothing
but his bit to champ on. 1814 SCOTT Ld. of Isles I. xv, The
war-horse..Champs, till both bit and boss are white. 1852 THACKERAY Esmond
I. xiii, Horses..champing at the bit.

**********************************************
Ron Force         Moscow ID USA
rforce at moscow.com
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Regarding "chomping vs. champing",  in the 14th century it was "champing."
The pronounciation has changed to chomping, but the sense is the same.   I
thought everyone knew this.  Don't nag me, I can't always be horsing around,
Scott.


                                                    Carl Westberg Jr.


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