CHOW

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Dr. Goodword
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CHOW

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:26 am

• chow •

Pronunciation: chæw • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. (US Slang) Food. 2. (Australian slur) Derogatory name for Chinese. 3. Breed of Chinese dog resembling a Pomeranian (also Chow-Chow).

Notes: This odd little word has a rather shady history but today is an acceptable if slangy word for "food". It may also be used as a popular verb in the US military with the verbal particle down, to get in the chow line to chow down.

In Play: Keep in mind that this word is slang, to be used in colloquial conversation only: "Hey, mom, I've been raking leaves all morning and need a little chow before I can go on." Chow is such slang that it has avoided figurative use altogether—until now:" Chick Pease reads comic books all the time; he calls it 'chow for the mind'."

Word History: Today's word is a reduction of chow-chow, a fruit or vegetable relish originating in China. Chow was already being used as a slang synonym for "food" in 1856 out in California. Chow-chow is a reduplication of Mandarin Chinese tsa "mix, mixed" and refers to the mixed food in chow-chow. The dog breed of the same name dates from 1886. Some suggest a link to a Chinese tendency to see dogs as edible; however, it might just as well have come from the Chinese word gou "dog". (We are always happy when Chris Stewart of Johannesburg feeds us excellent Good Words like today's.)
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Perry
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Postby Perry » Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:49 am

I suppose that chow sounds more appetizing than grub.
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gailr
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Postby gailr » Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:41 pm

Neil Gaiman's demon, Sable, was quite proud of his 'Newtrition' marketing achievements, one of which was CHOW™ :
spun, plaited, and woven protein molecules, capped and coded, carefully designed to be ignored by even the most ravenous digestive tract enzymes; no-cal sweeteners; mineral oils replacing vegetable oils; fibrous materials, colorings and flavorings.
Oh noes! Despite the hefty price and Veterinary ... Seal ... of Approval, it sounds suspiciously like what I am serving my cat...


At least there's no melamine or lead...

Cacasenno
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Postby Cacasenno » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:29 pm

Isn't the sound vaguely onomatopeic to your ears?

Chop as in I don chop ,→ Krio for I have eaten, is it related?


And, should you find a Krio dictionary anywhere on the net and directly accessible, please let me know :) :) :)

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Postby Stargzer » Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:04 pm

... Oh noes! Despite the hefty price and Veterinary ... Seal ... of Approval, it sounds suspiciously like what I am serving my cat...

At least there's no melamine or lead...
Speaking of the Seal of Approval ... Parodi had the Seal of Perfection on all of their boxes of cigars.

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melissa
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chow

Postby melissa » Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:14 pm

Is it really slang? Wasn't aware of the slur but the few restaurants that still serve 'chow mein' probably aren't either.
And dog chow is standard at least in the states. Grub is common in the west, 'chow down' is common in most parts.
-Parodi-
yes their seal of approval precedes them, barking.

-melissa

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:38 pm

It's apparently only a slur in Australia, mate.
Regards//Larry

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