Definition

1. Noun:
   • A short written note or receipt: A small piece of paper used for informal notes, receipts, or permissions.
   • A bill or tab for payment: A record of money owed, especially in a restaurant or bar.
   • A young, small, or insignificant person (often a girl or woman): A dismissive or contemptuous term for a girl or young woman, implying she is immature, impudent, or of little importance.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Receipt/Note):
  • He scribbled a chit to remind himself of the appointment.
  • The storekeeper gave me a chit for the goods I left for repair.
• Noun (Bill/Tab):
  • At the end of the meal, he asked for the chit to settle the bill.
  • The bartender kept a running chit for the regular customers.
• Noun (Person):
  • He dismissed her opinion, calling her a silly chit.
  • That chit of a girl had the nerve to contradict her elders.

Advanced Usage

• "Chit of a [girl/boy]": A fixed phrase used to emphasize someone's youth, small stature, or perceived insignificance, often with a tone of scorn.
  • How dare that chit of a boy tell me how to do my job?
• "Saucy chit": An idiom describing a young person, especially a girl, who is impudent or disrespectfully bold.
  • In the old novel, the heroine was often described as a saucy chit by the stern aunt.

Variants and Related Words

• Chitty (n): An alternative spelling for 'chit', meaning a short note or certificate.
  • He carried a chitty from the doctor.
• Chit-chat (n/v): Informal conversation or small talk. (Note: This is a compound word listed separately as a variant.)
  • We engaged in some pleasant chit-chat before the meeting started.

Synonyms

• Note: A brief record of points or ideas.
• Tab: A bill or check for goods or services.
• Minx: A sly, impudent, or flirtatious girl or young woman (similar in dismissive tone for a person).

Related Phrases

• Sign a chit: To authorize a payment or order by signing a small document.
  • Officers had to sign a chit for any equipment they drew from the store.
• Meal chit: A voucher or ticket for a meal.
  • The company provides meal chits for employees working late.

Related Idioms

• A mere chit: Used to describe someone as very young and insignificant.
  • They wouldn't listen to her, treating her as a mere chit.

Noun

1. the bill in a restaurant
   • he asked the waiter for the check
2. a dismissive term for a girl who is immature or who lacks respect
   • she was incensed that this chit of a girl should dare to make a fool of her in front of the class
   • she's a saucy chit