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Chink In The Armor
The idiom "chink in one's armor" refers to an area of vulnerability. It has traditionally been used to refer to a weak spot in a figurative suit of armor. The standard meaning is similar to that of Achilles' heel. Grammarist provides a sample usage by ''The Daily Telegraph'' that they find acceptable: "Such hype was anathema for the modest professional fighter, who has 22 victories under his belt, and not a perceptible chink in his armour." Etymology The phrase "chink in one's armor" has been used idiomatically since the mid-17th century. It is based on a definition of chink meaning "a crack or gap," dating back to around 1400. Notable controversies While the phrase itself is innocuous, its use in contemporary times has caused controversy in the United States due to it including the homonym "chink", which can be interpreted as Chink, an ethnic slur to refer to someone of Chinese or East Asian descent. ESPN Considerable controversy was generated in the United States after two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chink
''Chink'' is an English-language ethnic slur usually referring to a person of Chinese descent. The word is also sometimes indiscriminately used against people of East Asian, North Asian and Southeast Asian appearance. The use of the term describing eyes with epicanthic fold ("Asiatic eyes") is considered extremely offensive and highly racist, with some sources equating the word ''chink'' as offensive as the word ''nigger''. Etymology Various dictionaries provide different etymologies of the word ''chink''; for example, that it originated from the Chinese courtesy ''ching-ching'', that it evolved from the word ''China'', or that it was an alteration of ''Qing'' (''Ch'ing''), as in the Qing dynasty. Another possible origin is that ''chink'' evolved from the word for China in an Indo-Iranian language, ultimately deriving from the name of the Qing dynasty. That word is now pronounced similarly in various Indo-European languages. History The first recorded use of the word ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
