Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also chip into) to contribute, financially or otherwise.

1861		Winstead Herald 22 Nov. n.p.: An idea seems very generally to prevail that the printer should ‘chip in’ to every charitable and religious operation [DA].
1876		B. Harte Two Men of Sandy Bar 107: We is allers ready to chip in ekal in the game.
1887		G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 159: The black-whiskered man wanted to chip in enough to make it an even $10,000.
1895		Manchester Courier 23 Mar. 14/2: The Red Gulch ‘Snorter’ of Arizona is a breezy journal. Here is its announcement of terms:— ‘Any galoot who wants the “Snorter” for a year can have it [...] on payment of three red chips in advance. Now’s your time to chip in’.
1898		Binstead & Wells Pink ’Un and Pelican 255: The crowd only chipped in two dollars.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 13 Feb. 1/2: The club had to chip in and the lady got her brass.
1906		S. Ford Shorty McCabe 205: I [...] motioned to Sadie to let him spiel away, never chippin’ in a word.
1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘A Tempered Wind’ Gentle Grafter (1915) 181: I chip in that much brain work free.
1915		J. Buchan Thirty-Nine Steps (1930) 40: Karolides’ death would set the Balkans by the ears, and then Vienna would chip in with an ultimatum.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 131: Oh, well, if you don’t want to chip in and save a fellow-creature, I suppose I can’t make you.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Broadway Financier’ Runyon on Broadway (1954) 207: The citizens around Mindy’s chip in and send Silk a taxicab full of orchids.
1936		Wodehouse ‘Noblesse Oblige’ in Young Men in Spats 176: ‘I tackled Freddie just now and said that he ought to chip in’.
1949		Wodehouse Mating Season 135: The callous way in which Nature refuses to chip in and do its bit.
1951		Kerouac On the Road (The Orig. Scroll) (2007) 129: They chipped in some, and Slim some, and I bought a fifth.
1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 125: Wanna chip in?
1971		D. Goines Dopefiend (1991) 95: Let’s chip in and get a couple bottles of grapes.
1975		D.J. Townshend Gland Time 218: The others generously chipped in some of their winnings.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 53: He hadn’t had a chance to chip into my comin’-home kitty.
1988		Viz Oct./Nov. 27: Both chipped in a fiver.
1993		Snoop Doggy Dogg ‘Gin & Juice’ 🎵 Everybody got they cups, but they ain’t chipped in.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 60: Every twat chips in like, no fucker goes hungry.
2006		B. Matthews Intractable [ebook] [We] had chipped in with money and contacts to help them make a successful getaway.
2010		K. Richards Life 91: Everybody would chip in two quid.
2016		1011 ‘Next Up?’ 🎵 When your bro got touched, did you even chip in for a strap?
2020		G. Armstrong Young Team 10: We [...] pass a bottle ae Tonic aboot that we aw chipped in fur.

2. to include in one’s speaking.

1872

‘Mark Twain’ Innocents at Home 336: Pard, he was a great loss to this town. It would please the boys if you could chip in something like that, and do him justice.

3. to join in.

c.1869		B. Harte ‘In the Tunnel’ in Overland Monthly II 284/2: Just you chip in, / Say you knew Flynn.
1872		‘Mark Twain’ Innocents at Home I 356: I’ll be there and chip in and help, too.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Feb. 7/3: We can’t go and bring our lads home if any European power chips in. ’Twould be the same as saying, ‘I won’t fight your Frogs or Sour-krauts, as they’re armed as well as I.’.
1898		E. Pugh ‘The Inevitable Thing’ in Keating Working Class Stories of the 1890s (1971) 112: If there is one thing that riles the old dutch more ’n another, it is to ’ear people a-talkin’ an’ not to be able to chip in ’erself.
1901		Marvel XV:373 Jan. 9: His consarned Sioux pards chipped in somewhat, too, and we fellers sorter got it in the neck!
1911		Gem 7 Oct. 7: If any of you kids know how to shoot, I may let you chip in.
1918		Aussie (France) 4 Apr. 10/1: I uster [...] chip in at a two-up school, an’ w’en I’d got good ’oof fer the shrap. imshee off to the jestaminnet an’ cut it out that way.
1926		Z.N. Hurston Sweat (1995) 960: Heah, everybody chip in.
1940		F. Sargeson Man and His Wife (1944) 75: We all chipped in to say he was a dirty old man.
1953		Associated Press 29 Jan. n.p.: State Assembly Speaker, Oswald D. Heck chipped in with: ‘The state’s budget reflects [...] integrity.’ [W&F].
1991		B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 133: He was gettin’ so plastered that we all had to chip in to keep him from falling too far behind.
1998		B. Robinson Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman 177: A bit of a scuffle was developing. Susan Potts chipped in.

4. to butt in, to interrupt.

1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 30: I never ‘chipped in’ when conversation was taking place, unless it was quite proper for me to do so.
1882		G.W. Peck Peck’s Sunshine 256: He chipped in an occasional remark.
1899		A. Binstead Houndsditch Day by Day 89: It’s easy enough to chip in; simbly got to insert a sort o’ conversational jimmy into de discussion.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 32: ‘I care nothing about taking liberties!’ cried Swears, chipping in.
1916		J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 186: It was high time for me to chip in.
1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 24: ‘Here, I say!’ I chipped in.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Gentlemen, the King!’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 179: The little kid chips in and cutting the cabman’s moral soliloquy short.
1936		‘Banjo’ Paterson Shearer’s Colt 119: Before Red Fred could answer Mr Noall chipped in.
1958		A. Sillitoe Sat. Night and Sun. Morning 35: He chipped-in with his share of the talking, yet never shouted or swore.
1960		J.R. Ackerley We Think The World Of You (1971) 27: Millie at once chipped in with: ‘That’s enough from you!’.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 132: ‘Put a sock in it, chum,’ I chipped in.
1983		A-Team Storybook 6: ‘That’s one way of looking at it,’ Face Man chipped in.
1992		D. Jarman diary 2 Nov. Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 246: Terry’s agent chipped in.
2000		Guardian G2 27 Mar. 15: His mother chips in.