a douse in the chops
Preserved but no longer current.
A heavy blow in the face. My fellow-servant Umphry Klinker bid him be sivil, and he gave the young man a douse in the chops ; but I'fachins, Mr. Klinker wa'n't long in his debt — • with a good oaken sapling he dusted his doublet. — SMOLLETT: Humphrey Clinker, Lett, xxxiv.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a douse in the chops” mean?
A heavy blow in the face. My fellow-servant Umphry Klinker bid him be sivil, and he gave the young man a douse in the chops ; but I'fachins, Mr. Klinker wa'n't long in his debt — • with a good oaken sapling he dusted his doublet. — SMOLLETT: Humphrey Clinker, Lett, xxxiv.
Is “a douse in the chops” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.