chummy

Etymology

From chum + -y.

adj

1. (informal) Friendly; on, or trying to be on, intimate terms.
   Lachey and Olson have become rather chummy the last couple of years—they slide each other free tickets, they visit each other at practice sessions and games, their wives hang out—and, well, Olson has been filling Lachey’s head with a lot of baseball talk. 1992 October, Steve Buckley, “Boss Hog: Jim Lachey is the best offensive lineman in football playing on the best team in football”, in Sport, volume 83, number 10, →ISSN, page 64
   From what Brandon tells me, Andrea is getting pretty chummy with her dorm advisor! 1993, “Moving Targets”, in Beverly Hills, 90210, season 4, episode 7 (television production), spoken by Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty)
   Yeah, I was just being nice! I was being nice and chummy! 2001, Larry David, “Thor”, in Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 2, episode 2 (television production), Larry David (actor)

noun

1. Synonym of chum (“friend, pal”)
   Meanwhile the Tommies had discovered several large tins of ham in the captured lorry. 'That,' said the big Nazi, 'is for our tea.' 'No,' said a Tommy sergeant-major. 'That's for our tea. For you, chummy, we've kept a nice bit of bull.' 1949, Stephen Peter Llewellyn, Journey Towards Christmas, page 142
   Sonny's knotted, distrustful face relaxed all at once. "You're goddamned right about that, chummy!" he exclaimed. 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things
2. (obsolete) A boy who works for a chimney sweep.
3. (law enforcement slang) Nickname for a person, especially a suspect or criminal.
   What happens when the Old Bill turns up and want to look at 'chummies dental records, guv, 'cos 'e's bitten a bloke's ear off in the pub'? 2002, Roy C. Lilley, Paul Lambden, The Tool Kit for Dental Risk Management, page 21
4. (dated) A felt hat with a low crown.
   When Nipper was bowling he came in to the silliest of silly points, put his chummy hat well over his eyes, spat on his hands and generally annoyed the batsman so much that he lost his temper, […] 1933, Christopher Bush, Return, page 133
   Joy Banham recalled that in 1942, some three years into the war, when the privilege of wearing the tricorn hat was extended to petty officers: 'While I was at St David's the new tricorn hats for Petty Officers came on stream. As new girls were drafted to us they came wearing the new hats. Whereas we still had the old canvas “chummies” and we were quite envious. quoted in 2021, Peter Hore, Bletchley Park's Secret Source (page 52)