[Ads-l] Antedatings of "blue chip"

Hugo hugovk at GMAIL.COM
Thu Dec 17 16:15:31 UTC 2015


> I have to ask: why is "blue chip" without any context of value important?

The OED definition is:

A blue counter used in gambling (esp. poker), typically representing a
large sum of money.

So the value isn't necessarily essential here. The second quotation
(1868) is with a context of value. The first (1862) not, but it's in
the context of gambling, and both for the same game: faro.

Hugo

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list