chalk up
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
To achieve something.
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
To assign a debt to someone.
Register: archaic, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
To attribute to something, often tangentially.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 4
to credit, make entry in account books of indebtedness; "I can’t pay you now, but you can CHALK IT UP," i.e., charge me with the article in your day-book. From the old practice of chalking one’s score for drink behind the bar-doors of public-houses.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “chalk up” mean?
To achieve something.
Is “chalk up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.