Chipper, as per the OED.

Posted by Smokey Stover on September 12, 2004

In Reply to: Chipper - not a question, but some answers posted by Lotg (1st fleet stock) on September 12, 2004

: I described ACME as being chipper today. I've asked once before if anyone knew the origins. James Briggs came back to me with a dictionary definition but said he couldn't find the origin.

: So, having used the word yet again, it reignited my curiousity (that's if a curiousity can be ignited in the first place). I did some dictionary surfing (you'll all be thrilled to hear) and MW, Dictionary.com and American Heritage say the following:

: "perhaps alteration of English dialect 'kipper' (lively)".

: Infoplease says,
: \Chip"per\, a. Lively; cheerful; talkative. [U. S.]

: 1. to chirp or twitter.
: 2. to chatter or babble.

: Webster seems to like it both ways.

: Encarta says:
: "[Early 18th century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound, influenced by chirrup.]"

: So 'kipper' or 'chirrup' seem to be the popular possible origins. Personally, I like 'kipper' for no scientific reason whatsoever. But which dictionary do we believe?

Well, the other dictionaries seem to be validated by the OED: "[App. the same word as northern Eng. kipper lively, nimble, frisky, and perh. orig. a southern or midl. Eng. form of it; but now known only in U.S., and probably associated with, and influenced by CHIPPER v.]

Lively, brisk, cheerful; 'chirpy'.
1837-40 HALIBURTON Clockm. 236 There sot Katey..lookin' as bloomin' as a rose, and as chipper as a canary bird. 1849 THOREAU Week Concord Riv. Tuesd. 234 The sparrows seem always chipper, never infirm. 1861 HOLLAND Less. Life i. 21 They are cheerful, and chipper, and sunshiny, and not easily moved to anger." The OED believes the verb "chipper" to be, like chirrup, an imitation of the sound of, say, a canary or a sparrow. SS