Champing at the Bit Is About Horses, Not Impatience
A champ is a champion, informally. As a verb, to champ is to chew noisily, which is what the idiom actually describes.
Champ is the informal short form of *champion*, and separately a verb meaning to chew noisily. The verb survives almost only in *champing at the bit*: a restless horse grinds its teeth on the metal bit, which is a picture of eagerness held back. The common variant *chomping at the bit* is now widely accepted, though *champing* is the older form. The two champs are unrelated words that happen to look alike.
- A champion (informal). *The reigning champ.*
- To chew noisily. *The horse champed.*
- Champing at the bit — eager and restrained. *Champing at the bit to start.*
- Champion — the full word. *World champion.*
- Chomp — the common variant. *Chomping at the bit.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | champ | The champ. |
| Plural | champs | Former champs. |
| Verb | champ | Champ the bit. |
| Past | champed | It champed. |
| Full form | champion | The champion. |
- The champ defended his title.Sport.
- They were champing at the bit to begin.Idiom.
- The horse champed on its bit.Literal.
Horse phrases in everyday English
- Champing at the bit — eager but held back
- Take the bit between the teeth — to act beyond control
- Rein in — to restrain
- Give free rein — to allow full freedom
- Saddled with — burdened by
The chewing verb is from the 1500s, probably imitative. *Champ* as short for *champion* is nineteenth-century American slang, from Latin *campionem*, a fighter in the field.
Is it champing or chomping at the bit?
Champing is the original. Chomping is now so common that dictionaries record it as an accepted variant.
Are the two meanings of champ related?
No. The chewing verb and the shortening of champion are separate words with different origins.