Etymology Apparently a compound of chop + stick, but the sense of the first element is not clear. The term was earliest applied to fishing tackle (from 1615), later being transferred to the dining utensil (attested since 1637) driven by their visual resemblance. The commonly held derivation from Chinese Pidgin English chop(-chop) (“quick”), a supposed calque from Chinese 筷子 (kuàizi, “chopstick, literally, ‘little quick ones’”), derived from 快 (kuài, “quick”), is chronologically impossible as Chinese Pidgin English did not come into existence until the 18th century.
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Plural normally An East Asian eating utensil typically used as a pair held in one hand to grip food items, mix liquids, or scoop food out of a bowl. The utensil is a stick, usually made of wood, and measuring approximately 23 cm (10 inches) in length.
Then broughtt they us some henne cutt in small peeces and Fresh porcke Don in like Manner, giving us Choppsticks to eatt our Meat, butt wee knew not how to use them, soe imployed our Fingers. [...] Having before mentioned Chopstickes, I will Describe a ordinary Fellow, as boatmen, etts., how hee eateth / his meat, which is commonly on the ground or Decke. Hee taketh the stickes (which are aboutt a foote longe) beetweene his Fingers and with them hee taketh uppe his Meat, beeing first cut smalle, as saltporcke, Fish, etts., with which they relish their Rice (it beeing their common Foode). I say first taking upp a bitt of the Meatte, hee presently applies to his Mouth a smalle procelane with sodden Rice. Hee thrusts, Crammes and stuffes it full of the said Rice with the Chopsticks in exceedingly hasty Manner untill it will hold No more.1637, Peter Mundy, Diary; in Richard Carnac Temple, editor, The English Factory in Japan, 1613–1623: Volume I, Cambridge: The Hakluyt Society, 1919, page 194:
All the Tonquineses keep many of these Sticks in their Houses, as well for their own use, as to entertain Strangers at meals: they are as ordinarily placed at the Table here, as Knives, Forks, and Spoons are in England: and a man that cannot dextrously handle these instruments, makes but an odd figure at their Tables. The richer sort of people, especially the Mandarins, have them tipt with Silver. In China also these things are constantly used: they are called by the English Seamen Chopsticks.1697, William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World, London: James Knapton, page 85:
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These Sticks are called by the Chinese Quay-tse, and by some of our Voyagers Chopsticks, which they manage so dexterously that they can take up a grain of rice with them.1761, Hau Kiou Choaan, or, The Pleasing History, London: R. and J. Dodson, page 192:
When not used, the chopsticks must be laid on the table, side by side, exactly pointing away from the individual[.]1850, Walter Henry Medhurst, A Glance at the Interior of China, Obtained During a journey through the Silk and Green Tea Districts, London: John Snow, page 11:
We ate chow-chow with chop-sticks in the celestial restaurants; […]1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “”, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 396:
It took three months’ massage twice a day for ten minutes to bring the muscles to a good condition, and the boy left the hospital able to lift weights as well as to use his chop-sticks.1906 January, R. T. Booth, “Medical and Surgical Notes”, in China Medical Missionary Journal, volume XX, number 1, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 75:
When was in Hampshire the other day, a chop-stick, who came to my lodging to talk to me about the mode of harvesting and preserving the corn, and who soon diverged into a talk about the Reform Bill, said, "And this cholera morbus, sir, don't you think it's a sort of a shoshoy to frighten us out of the Reform?"1832 April 11, The Launceston Advertiser, Tasmania, page 119, column 2:
Every horse you possess having no action, or which a day's journey would knock up, (to be found in lots far more numerous than the Chinamen as yet,) ought to be turned out to fatten; when plump, take the animal into the nearest station, occupied by these chopsticks.1852 March 13, The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, NSW, page 4, column 3:
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"How cool is that, Chong? Wolverine is in the house." "Wolver this, you chopstick."2013, Angelina Martinez, Falling In Love, Bloomington: Author House, page 50:
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Fishing, Hobbies, LifestyleObsolete A long straight stick used to keep baited hooks separated in deep-sea fishing tackle.
I pray pardon me for that Capt' Adams' hast to goe downe causeth me to be breefer then I would, wishing you to luffe as fast as you can in the heigh of hogg faces, for these climates of Meaco yeald nothinge but shirrow & chopp-stickes.1615 October 23, Richard Wickham, letter; in Anthony Farrington, editor, The English Factory in Japan, 1613-1623: Volume I, London: The British Library, 1991, page 330:
The Fisherman has a Line of 90 Fathom long, or more, with a Lead at the end of it called a Deep-sea-lead, of about 6 or 7 pounds weight, to sink it; above which is a cross-stick, termed a Chop-stick, with 2 Lines and Hooks at them, with Baits[.]1726, Nathan Bailey, Dictionarium Rusticum, Urbanicum and Botanicum, London: James and John Knapton et al., page s.v. Iceland:
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The spreader is passed through the hole in the sinker, c, until its centre is reached, when the edges of the holes must be closed in tightly with a small hammer, which will, if properly done, retain the spreader securely in its place. This arrangement is generally known amongst fishermen as a set of "chop-sticks."1862, W.B. Lord, Sea Fish and How to Catch Them, London: Bradbury, Agnew and Co., page 44:
The baits are now cast clear of the boat, the lead being thrown into the water away from them; for if dropped on the snood, as I have seen done by many unthinking persons who have only been accustomed to chopstick lines, a foul is the natural result.1875, J.C. Wilcocks, The Sea-Fisherman, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., page 62:
One great advantage of this rig is that the lead and its appendage are always hauled up endways, thus offering less opposition to the water than those fitted with the different chop-sticks.1905, P. L. Haslope, Practical Sea-fishing: A Handbook for Sea Anglers, London: L. Upcott Gill, page 30:
Etymology Apparently a compound of chop + stick, but the sense of the first element is not clear. The term was earliest applied to fishing tackle (from 1615), later being transferred to the dining utensil (attested since 1637) driven by their visual resemblance. The commonly held derivation from Chinese Pidgin English chop(-chop) (“quick”), a supposed calque from Chinese 筷子 (kuàizi, “chopstick, literally, ‘little quick ones’”), derived from 快 (kuài, “quick”), is chronologically impossible as Chinese Pidgin English did not come into existence until the 18th century.
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Ambitransitive, Informal To pick up (food), or eat, using chopsticks, or as with chopsticks.
Then, holding his plate close to his mouth, he chopsticked it in with his fork, and, with tremendous gusto, called for more.1895, Douglas Sladen, The Japs at Home, London: Ward, Lock & Co., page 101:
For a while I chopsticked in silence. Gathering up loose grains of rice between the points of two small sticks is a job requiring absolute quiet and concentration.1915 November 13, The Southern Churchman, Richmond, Va., page 14, column 1:
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And when the rains upon our ranks of countless thousands fall It's better far to chopstick rice, and not to fight at all.1924 April 16, The Australian Worker, Sydney, page 10, column 4:
Though the fingers weakened and Ernest almost starved between bites, the old Walsh pride stood firm and refused to allow him to admit that he’d made a mistake and would rather use a fork. An hour later, when the others left, Ernest was still painstakingly chopsticking.1941 February 1, The Wireless Weekly, Sydney, page 4, column 3:
She chopsticked her millet and beans from the same cans as people she knew were consumptive[.]1945, George Hogg, I See A New China, London: Victor Gollancz, page 17:
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Fishing, Hobbies, LifestyleObsolete, Rare To fish using a tackle with a chopstick.
Plaice, and flat fish of all kinds, are taken from the jetties at Yarmouth; and, by taking a boat, good sport may be had chopsticking for marckerel, whiting, and haddock, large quantities of these fish being caught here by this popular method.1892, Ernest R. Suffling, The Land of the Broads, Stratford: Benjiman Perry, page 306: