Does 'chop' often refer to a guy?

Forums: Esl, Grammar, English, English As A Second Language, Learning English
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I saw the movie 'Pearl Harbor', which deals with the Japanese attacks on Hawaii.

On a huge fleet, they have a boxing game.
Some put five bucks on one guy and some, like ten, on the other.
The tall, bulky and white guy keeps beating the opponent, a black cook, shorter and weaker.

( Though this isn't exactly about the boxing, but he's the guy I am talking about.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/chop )

After the first round is over, the cook, who got all busted up, gets back to his seat, and his coach yells at him.

"This here's the hard-earned greenbacks of every pot-scrubbin', dish-washin' chop in this here fleet."

Let me rephrase that.

"This is the money all these guys made from pot-scrubbing and dish-washing in this fleet."

His intention was, I guess, to encourage him to fight harder
so that those who bet on him won't lose their money.

What's puzzling to me is, though, the term 'chop.'
From the context, I figure 'chop' probably means 'guy, person'

To verify that, I looked up the dictionary in vain.

Chop is, my dictionary says, the act of chopping or material made by chopping and there's nothing like a guy or something like that.

( http://www.thefreedictionary.com/chop )

Could you please help me figure out what 'chop' here is?

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 1,963 • Replies: 24

View best answer, chosen by SMickey

Mightened you've heard 'swab' or 'swabie'?

2 Replies

@bobsal u1553115,

No, I just watched that scene here....

http://www.movieweb.com/movie/pearl-harbor/cuba-gooding-jr-shows-his-mettle

and the coach says chop.

micky, by the context, I'd say the word refers to the black guys on the ship, or at least the sailors who are in charge of the lowliest jobs. Not necessarily that they are black, but part of a group. Remember, this was in 1941, over 70 years ago. Relations between races, and slang terms were very different.

I checked urban dictionary, and the word chop is used in a lot of slang ways, but I didn't see any that referred to using it for a guy.

In any event, I don't think it's important in todays context, as it's not a word used in that way today. There's a lot of slang from that generation that wouldn't be used, or even understood today.

In any event, I don't believe

1 Reply

@chai2,

Thanks Chai2.

Probably I was oversensitive about new words, even when they aren't used any more. That's sometimes what language learners are like.

I said 'from the context', and I guess 'by the context' you said is generally more appropriate, I assume. I'll memorize that too. Thanks again.

It's the lunar Year's Day here in Korea, and we say Happy New Year to each other, wishing one another luck.
I'd like to do that to you too.

Happy New Year, Chai2.
God bless you.

2 Replies

@bobsal u1553115,

No I haven't.
Does it have to with chop here?

Mind if I ask you what 'mightened' is?

0 Replies

"Chop" is almost certainly a (rather disparaging) term for an oriental. It goes back to "chop-chop"...used to hurry Chinese coolies.

2 Replies

@SMickey,

It's not unusual in slang to use words that refer to what people do as their name/title.

In this context, chop might be used to refer to a cook or any of the kitchen staff.

________

It doesn't seem to be a standard usage and it definitely isn't current.

_________

Happy New Year! will you be having rice cake soup?

3 Replies

@SMickey,

Thank you Mickey

BTW, from the context/by the context....I wasn't even aware which one I used.

Don't use me as the model for correct grammar, I'm pretty lazy with it.

From the context is more correct actually.

0 Replies

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

It's not unusual in slang to use words that refer to what people do as their name/title.

In this context, chop might be used to refer to a cook or any of the kitchen staff.

________

It doesn't seem to be a standard usage and it definitely isn't current.

_________

Happy New Year! will you be having rice cake soup?

Oh yeah! The cooks!

Ha!

0 Replies

@Frank Apisa,

I had no idea what a coolie is.
Thanks for letting me know that.
Learning new words is fun.

0 Replies

@ehBeth,

Now I can clearly understand why chop was used.
You're right. His job was cooking for other sailors,
and what he had to do was very much about chopping.

Thanks for clearing that up.

I already had rick cake soup.
How did you know that we have that sort of food?
You're awesome, indeed.

1 Reply

@SMickey,

Hi SMickey. I enjoy Korean food and go out or it on occasion.

Toronto has a couple of parts of town with fun Korean restaurants.

Since it's the lunar New Year - there have to be special foods - like rice cake soup Very Happy

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

"Chop" is almost certainly a (rather disparaging) term for an oriental. It goes back to "chop-chop"...used to hurry Chinese coolies.

There weren't any Asians in that video, and nothing in it was about Asians It was a white guy boxing Cuba Gooding on a ship. The black coach of Cuba was encouraging him to keep boxing on behalf of all the chops on the ship.

Gooding played a character named Dorie Miller, who was promoted to ships cook, third class.

I think ehBeth has the best answer.

1 Reply

@SMickey,

SMickey wrote:

...
It's the lunar Year's Day here in Korea, and we say Happy New Year to each other, wishing one another luck.
...

억...한국인이에요? 새해 복 많이 받으세요...^^

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

I was just going to add what you said, ehBeth, not having heard the word 'chop' about a person and what you say fits, but I just read what Frank added, and I bet he's correct, if that really was a usage re "coolies".

Edit - now I've read what Chai said. Changing my mind, am back to it being related to his being a cook.

1 Reply

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

Frank Apisa wrote:

"Chop" is almost certainly a (rather disparaging) term for an oriental. It goes back to "chop-chop"...used to hurry Chinese coolies.

There weren't any Asians in that video, and nothing in it was about Asians It was a white guy boxing Cuba Gooding on a ship. The black coach of Cuba was encouraging him to keep boxing on behalf of all the chops on the ship.

Gooding played a character named Dorie Miller, who was promoted to ships cook, third class.

I think ehBeth has the best answer.

You are correct...there were no Asians in that scene. But I am almost certain the term "chop" is a disparaging term for an Asian.

Not sure why it was used in that scene...but I wasn't commenting on that scene. I was commenting on the word.

There is the possibility I am wrong. That happens. Or at least for me. I'm not sure about you, Chai...I never seen you mention the possibility.

0 Replies

@ossobuco,

But wait, for a change, I'm not sure Frank is incorrect.

0 Replies

@SMickey,

Apparently it's short for pork chop and is slang for a navy supply officer :

Quote:

Pork Chop, Chop – (USN) Supply Officer. From the resemblance of the collar device (actually oak leaves and three acorns) to a pork chop.

http://www.hazegray.org/faq/slang2.htm

1 Reply

@Pearlylustre,

That's interesting! thanks Pearlylustre for finding that.

I looked at that page and didn't spot it (didn't think to look under pork chop! Very Happy

)

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

I found a photo but it doesn't look all that much like a chop to me...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v124/wajo65/insignia_zpsmdacuyom.jpg

0 Replies

Does 'chop' often refer to a guy?

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