Talk:Chop Chop

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I think that Chop Chop, meaning "to get a move on", comes from the Chinese seal. (The Japanese have something similar traditionally made of ivory). It is carried as identification and used for "signing" documents. A language depending on thousands of stylised images would be difficult to use to create a reliable signature, while authentication by a hand carved stamp would be difficult to fake.

A chop house is also a slang term for a customs office, a place famous world wide for delaying international trade.

I think it is most probable that "chop Chop" was used by frustrated foreign traders, trying to catch the tide etc.

Chambers dictionary (1998 edition) seems to agree with me.

Harryhoundog 08:20, 11 October 2007 (UTC)