Usage Entry 493 / 1011 60-second read

Champ vs. Chomp

To bite repeatedly (classical) versus to chew heavily (modern).

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

She was chomping at the bit, eager to go.

✓ Correct

She was chomping at the bit, eager to go.

The ruleii

CHOMP is fine; CHAMP is traditional.

The idiom "champing at the bit" is older, but CHOMPING is widely accepted. Either passes muster — CHAMP reads more literary.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Both work. CHAMP is the classic."

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