chipped chopped ham
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.09 in modern English
42
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A finely ground, processed luncheon meat, typically made of spiced ham loaf shaved into thin chips; especially associated with delicatessens and home cooking in Western Pennsylvania.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Is there a Western Pennsylvanian who hasn’t eaten Isaly's chipped chopped ham? When you traveled and saw one, you knew they’d have Klondikes and chipped ham..."
- "When I went looking for a chipped chopped ham barbecue sandwich last year as a new Pittsburgher, it was frustratingly hard to find. The classic Pittsburgh sandwich, made with thinly sliced pressed ham cooked in barbecue sauce, is available only at a few places with a long memory."
Etymology
From chipped (past participle of chip, referring to being thinly shaved) + chopped (“finely cut”) + ham. The term is strongly associated with the Pittsburgh region of Pennsylvania, where Isaly's delicatessens popularized the product in the mid-20th century.