chip on one's shoulder

名词 n.
中文释义

英文释义

名词 n.
  1. 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.’
  2. A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harbored grievance, a sense of inferiority, or a desire to prove something. idiomatic
    — 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.
  3. A tendency to take offence quickly. idiomatic

词形变化

chips on one's shoulder plural

词汇关系

相关词
chippy thorn in someone's side chip off the old block mote

词源

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.
0 次浏览 数据来源: Wiktionary