chopse

English

Etymology

Derived from chops (“jaws, mouth”). Attested from 1854.

Verb

chopse (third-person singular simple present chopses, present participle chopsing, simple past and past participle chopsed)

1. (Midlands, Wales, Bermuda) To loudly insult and subject to verbal abuse; to berate.
   • 2015 August 25, Ben Travis, “Educating Cardiff: Five essential Welsh slang phrases you need to know”, in Evening Standard‎^[1], archived from the original on 2022-12-10:

     If you're being cheeky to someone in Wales, they'll probably ask the following: "Are you chopsing at me?"

   • 2018 August 20, Jessica Walford, “Secret bugging device catches man confessing to killing girlfriend after he slapped her in 'post-sex argument'”, in The Mirror‎^[2], archived from the original on 2021-10-25:

     On there was one conversation that sounded like a confession by Tobin. "I said she's chopsing so I just put her to sleep like," Tobin told his father.

   • 2021 July 22, Jason Evans, “Neighbour dispute erupts into violence with punches, bites, and 'dump tackle'”, in WalesOnline‎^[3], archived from the original on 2022-08-13:

     The long-running disagreement boiled over after claims one of the neighbours had been "chopsing" to the son of the other and then eggs being thrown at a car.

   • 2022 September 30, Ross Harries, quoting Rob Evans, “Rob Evans: 'I've tried to base my life on honesty and integrity and if you don't get it back, it hurts'”, in RugbyPass‎^[4], archived from the original on 2022-09-30:

     Obviously, playing for the Scarlets, I’ve "chopsed" a lot of these boys over the years, so when I signed I was thinking “oh shiiiit, how’s this going to go down?

2. (Midlands, Wales, Bermuda) To chatter and gossip excessively.
   • 2015 November 30, “(headline)”, in ITV News Wales‎^[5], archived from the original on 2019-05-10:

     Less chopsing, more chopping: hair salon launches a 'quiet chair'

   • 2016, Alan Moore, Jerusalem, Liveright, →ISBN:

     There were two men stood talking to the girl behind the bar, just while she served them, and a couple in their twenties sitting chopsing in one corner, but nobody Mary Jane or Freddy knew.

   • 2022 February 11, Val Savage, “'Shameful footballer Kurt Zouma should have been kicked into touch for cat attack'”, in The Mirror‎^[6], archived from the original on 24 October 2022:

     For Kirstie, money is no object. She has never seen the side of life where every penny counts. This week she was chopsing on about how young people could all afford to buy their own homes if they gave up small treats like coffee and gym memberships.

Derived terms

• chopsy

References

• “chopse”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.