Things of which I never knew

[womzilla]

I have known for a long time that in the technological metaphor of a horse straining impatiently at its restraints, the proper verb is "champing", not "chomping at the bit". What I hadn't known is that "champ" is simply the older English version of "chomp".

(Comment inspired by the latest in crowleycrow's explorations in obsolete metaphors.)

Comments

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Made even more confusing by the fact that the British usually pronounce "champ" with the broad "a" that makes it sound, to my USAian ears, like "chomp."