chit

Etymology 1

From Middle English chitte (“a young animal, cub, whelp”), from Old English *ċytten, *ċietten, *ċitten, from Proto-West Germanic *kittīn, from Proto-Germanic *kittīną (“young animal, fawn, kid”). Cognate with Scots chit (“chit”), Low German kitte (“young animal”), German Kitz (“fawn, kid”). See also kid.

noun

1. A child or babe; a young, small, or insignificant person or animal.
   Madam was a little chit of a woman, not five feet in her highest headdress and shoes, and Mr. Washington a great tall man of six feet two. 1859, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Virginians, Chapter VI
   “These are returns,” I said, “quite fit To me, who nursed you when a chit. For shame, lay by this envious art; Is this to act a sister's part?” 1922, Petronius Arbiter, translated by W. C. Firebaugh, Satyricon, Chapter 56
2. A pert or sassy young person, especially a young woman.

Etymology 2

From Middle English *chit, *chitte, from Old English ċīþ (“germ, seed, sprout, shoot”), from Proto-Germanic *kīþą (“sprout”), from Proto-Indo-European *ĝī-, *ĝey- (“to divide, part, split open, sprout”). Cognate with Middle Dutch kiede (“sprout”), dialectal German Keid (“sprout”). Doublet of scion.

noun

1. The embryonic growing bud of a plant
   the chits of Indian corn or of potatoes
   The Barley after it has been couched four or five days in cold Weather will sweat a little, and begin to show the Chit or Sprit at the Root-end of the Corn, 1721, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry: Or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land, page 217
2. (obsolete) An excrescence on the body, as a wart or a pimple.

verb

1. (intransitive, Britain, dialect) To sprout; to shoot, as a seed or plant.
   I have known it chit in seven hours after it had been thrown forth of the Cistern and within three days come enough; the Maltster being forced to stir it six, seven or eight times a day, 1721, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry: Or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land, page 217
2. (transitive, Britain, dialect) To damage the outer layers of a seed such as Lupinus or Sophora to assist germination.
3. (transitive, Britain, dialect) To initiate sprouting of tubers, such as potatoes, by placing them in special environment, before planting into the soil.
   Gardeners argue among themselves about how necessary chitting is, but I stick with tradition and do chit my seed potatoes. 2010, Geoff Stebbings, Growing Your Own Fruit and Veg For Dummies, page 173

Etymology 3

From chitty, from Hindi चिट्ठी (ciṭṭhī, “letter, note, written message”). Doublet of cure.

noun

1. (US and Britain dated) A small sheet or scrap of paper with a hand-written note as a reminder or personal message.
2. (historical) A voucher or token coin used in payrolls under the truck system.
3. (pharmacology) A small sheet of paper on which is written a prescription to be filled; a scrip.
4. (gaming) A smaller cardboard counter generally used not to directly represent something but for another, more transient, purpose such as tracking or randomization.
   1.4.3 Also on the board, but turned face down at the beginning of the game, are chits representing treasure sites and sounds and warnings of monsters that may arrive on the map. When characters end a turn in the hex, these chits are revealed. As characters move around the board, more and more of these chits will be revealed, letting the players know where monsters and treasures are to be found. 2005, Richard Hamblen, Teresa Michelsen, Stephen McKnight, The unofficial, updated Third Edition of the Magic Realm Rules
5. (India, China) A signed voucher or memorandum of a small debt, as for food and drinks at a club.
   1901, Falk, by Joseph Conrad He just longed to get away from here and try his luck somewhere else, but for the sake of his sister he hung on and on till he ran himself into debt over his ears—I can tell you. I, myself, could show a handful of his chits for meals and drinks in my drawer.
   You might come in out of contempt for history—then you'd fall in love with the idea that you could make it, because history had assumed a debt that had never been paid—because, save in apparent trivial, vanishing moments, the debt had been forgotten, and even the chits had been lost. 1989, Greil Marcus, “The Assault on Notre-Dame”, in Lipstick Traces, Faber & Faber, published 2009
6. (US, slang) A debt or favor owed in return for a prior loan or favor granted, especially a political favor.
   Harry would call in a chit with some desk manager who owed him a favor. 2003, Linda Fairstein, The Bone Vault, Scribner, page 98
   Bill Clinton’s connections, and his endless supply of chits, only begin to capture his singular role in his wife’s presidential candidacy, advisers and friends of the couple say. […] And he is cashing in chits for her that Mr. Gore, post-impeachment, never asked him to do. 2007-05-13, Patrick Healy, “In New Role, Senator Clinton’s Strategist in Chief”, in New York Times

Etymology 4

Perhaps from specialized technical use of Etymology 2, above, “a bud; an excressence” (Hunter 1882).

noun

1. A small tool used in cleaving laths. Compare: froe.
   Then lastly (with their Chit) they cleave their Laths into their thicknesses, by the Quarter Grain, which is that Grain which is seen to run in strait Lines towards the Pith. 1734, The Builder’s Dictionary: Or, Architect’s Companion, volume II
   This should be specially selected, cut into lengths, and split by wedges into bolts, with a dowel axe into fittings, and with a chit split into laths. 1905, William Millar, Plastering, Plain and Decorative, page 90

Etymology 5

Euphemistic variation of shit.

noun

1. (US, slang, euphemistic) Shit.

intj

1. (US, slang, euphemistic) Shit.