What is the meaning of the idiom chock-a-block?
extremely full; crowded; jammed
or chock-a-block extremely full; crowded; jammed: a room chockablock with furniture and plants. Nautical. having the blocks drawn close together, as when the tackle is hauled to the utmost. adverb.
What are the origins of the saying chock-a-block?
One meaning of chock in the nineteenth century was of two things pressed so tightly against each other that they can’t move. This led to the nautical term that’s the direct origin of the phrase. Block refers to the pulley blocks of the tackle used for various hauling jobs on board ship.
How do you use chocolate a bloc?
Examples of chock-a-block
- The streets of the little town were simply chock-a-block with troops which were pouring into it from converging roads.
- The railroad yard was chock-a-block with freight and passenger cars, and nobody was there to tell us where to go or where to find provisions.
Is chock full one word?
The word meaning full to the limit is chock-full. It is commonly misspelled chalk-full, probably due to the close similarity in sound between chock and chalk especially in American pronunciation.
Is it choc a bloc or chock-a-block?
If a place is chock-a-block, it is very full of people or things: The streets were chock-a-block (with cars).
What is a Chocka?
/ˈtʃɑːk.ə/ uk. /ˈtʃɒk.ə/ slang for chock-a-block informal. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Full.
What does stoked mean in Australia?
happy, proud, or excited about
happy, proud, or excited about something. I’m so STOKED about going surfing today. She was STOKED to see you yesterday.
What does the phrase fair dinkum mean?
unquestionably good or genuine : excellent
Definition of fair dinkum slang, Australia. : unquestionably good or genuine : excellent —often used as a general expression of approval these cigars are fair dinkum.
What is a Chalker block?
Chock-a-block also spawned an abbreviated version in the 20th century – chocka (or chocker). This is WWII UK military slang meaning ‘fed-up or disgruntled’ – as defined in Hunt and Pringles’ Service Slang, 1943: “Chocker, this is the sailor’s way of saying he is fed up or browned off.” See other Nautical Phrases.
Why is it called chock full?
Etymology. From “English Language and Usage” site: c. 1400, from Middle English chokkeful (“crammed full”), possibly from choke (“cheek”) (see cheek (n.)), equivalent to cheek + full. Or it may be from Old French choquier “collide, crash, hit” [similar to shock].
How do you use chock full in a sentence?
Chock-full sentence example
- Prescriptives’ makeup collection is chock-full of refreshing colors, and there’s a blush for every skin tone.
- With Details, Richard Davis has delivered an album chock full of clinical, exquisitely’detailed ‘ (ahem ), production.
How do you spell chock-a-block?
Meaning of chock-a-block in English. If a place is chock-a-block, it is very full of people or things: The streets were chock-a-block (with cars).