the.com/chap
British slang for a man, now mostly used by people doing a British accent.
means An informal, friendly term for a man or fellow, now carrying a cheerful old-fashioned air.
from Short for 'chapman,' an old word for a trader or peddler (from Old English 'ceap,' meaning trade or bargain — the same root as 'cheap' and the 'Chip' in Chipping Norton). Over time 'chap' drifted from 'customer' to just 'fellow,' shedding its commercial roots the way 'guy' shed its gunpowder-plot origins.
- origin
- short for chapman, meaning trader or peddler
- usage shift
- once meant customer, now means fellow
- skin sense
- also means cracked skin from cold wind
- tone
- polite, slightly posh, never used for yourself