As a new writer, I enjoy learning new words. When I open my laptop to work on my rough draft, I always click on Thesaurus.com. It’s bookmarked and used again and again as I create my contemporary fiction novel.
I also have a small group of volunteer Beta Readers who are in various stages of reading and critiquing my first draft. Among them is a woman I call “mom.” (Big smile from me, just for her.)
Earlier this week, my mom used an old-fashioned word I never knew existed: CHIPPY (also spelled chippie).
My dear, sweet, Jesus-loving mama referred to it when she spoke about my MC, Jason Reece. Jason was at a point in his life where he made highly uncharacteristic choices. Mom’s take on it was that “even if Jason’s wife (Nina) hadn’t cheated on him, he would have eventually cheated on her if some CHIPPY like (the girl Jason dated one night) threw herself at him.” Chippy, huh? Made me chuckle.
Although the context made the meaning clear, I ventured over to Dictionary.com where I learned a few things. In American slang, a chippy is just what you’re thinking right now… a promiscuous woman. That slang word dates back to 1880. Talk about an old-fashioned word, huh? No wonder I’d never heard of it.
Now that I’ve been enlightened, you can bet I’ll use it in one form or another. Chippy also refers to a chipping sparrow, a chipmunk, a carpenter, a potato chip, a store selling fish and chips, as well as the only definition my hockey-loving husband was aware of — an aggressive player or a rough play.
In my life as a beginning writer, I learn something new every day. I hope that on Wednesdays here at my website, you’ll learn something new, too, as you read about my latest WORD OF THE WEEK.
