Some popular expressions are a mystery. No one is sure how they developed.
One of these is the expression, carry a chip on your shoulder . A person with a chip on his shoulder is a problem for anybody who must deal with him.
He seems to be expecting trouble. Sometimes he seems to be saying, "I'm not happy about anything, but what are you going to do about it?"
A chip is a small piece of something, like a chip of wood. How did this chip get on a person's shoulder?
Well, experts say the expression appears to have been first used in the United States more than one hundred years ago.
One writer believes that the expression might have come from an old saying.
The saying warns against striking too high, or a chip might fall into your eye.
