Chin chin

[Flyinggeesei234]

Please fellow pendants, help me out.

I see ‘chin chin’ meaning ‘cheers’, not only on MN but elsewhere (tacky printed wine glasses etc). But is it not ‘cin cin!’ as
it’s Italian?

Pronunciation is the same. But what on earth is chin chin?

Yes. Chin chin is a mistake (as you know). People make mistakes!

Correct but this is Penants’ Corner, is it not? It’s not just every so often, it’s a very common ‘mistake’.

Maybe it’s a wider point wondering why anyone would use a word or phrase they don’t understand.

I’m not making a dig at individuals
if that’s your point. I’m talking about this kind of thing, very widespread.

It's not Italian in origin though, it was a Chinese phrase used by sailors and then adopted by the Italians.

So arguably, spelling it chin chin in English is fine rather than using the Italian spelling

I think because it’s one of those phrases that people only use once in a blue moon, they’re not hugely familiar with its origin. A lot of people will assume it’s an early 20thc/Wodehousian style ‘posh’ phrase and then just assume it’s English, hence the ‘chin chin’.

I didn't know that. Interesting.

Yup, it's supposedly from a Cantonese greeting originally, so if you want to be really pedantic "qing qing" would probably be the most accurate westernisation of it, but chin chin is how it was originally transcribed.

So no, it's not wrong.

I thought it was "ching ching", as in the sound the glass makes when they "ching".

😂

A lot of people will assume it’s an early 20thc/Wodehousian style ‘posh’ phrase
Yes. Cheers/bottoms up for the common people, Chin chin for those with butlers and twenty piece dinner sets.

What's the Chinese phrase?

See, this is the kind of insight I was
lacking! Thanks @Fireisland

OED has it listed as US origin, but no further details.

I think of it as a very Jeeves and Wooster-type phrase. Maybe Bertie picked it up on one of this trips to New York?

I've learned something! I thought "chin chin" was a baby talk version of "chin up", and when people posted it on social media alongside a photo of a glass of champagne they were doing the equivalent of posting, "Ah, well somebody's got to do it," or, "Being brave," alongside sunny holiday photos.

Chin chin is kids slang in Japanese for Penis. Like wee wee. Cantonese cheers is yum boi.

It's a common way to toast in French although it's spelled "tchin-tchin."