Posted by: episystechpubs | June 6, 2016

Editor’s Corner: Chip In

Good morning. I have something light-hearted for you today.

Recently I wanted to buy something for a friend and someone offered to chip in some money. And, like I tend to do, I started thinking about the term chip in. I couldn’t find much information about the etymology, but I found out that the first known use of the term was in 1861. And I found out that the primary meaning of the term here in the United States is different than it is in the United Kingdom.

In the United States, we typically use the term to mean “to contribute a small amount of money to a fund that will be used to buy something.” For example, “Yes, I’ll chip in $10.00 to buy a birthday gift for Michelle.”

In the United Kingdom, they primarily use it to mean “to interrupt a conversation in order to say something.” For example, “While we’re in the meeting, please chip in with your opinion.”

I like to be diverse in my usage of idioms; so, I’d like to invite you all to chip in with your feedback about this article and then chip in to my retirement fund. Thank you!

Donna Bradley Burcher | Senior Technical Editor | Symitar®


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