Green’s Dictionary of Slang

chip in v.

[poker jargon chip in, to put one’s gambling chips on the table to signify one’s joining in the round of betting]
(orig. US)

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

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].
[US]B. Harte Two Men of Sandy Bar 107: We is allers ready to chip in ekal in the game.
[US]G. Devol Forty Years a Gambler 159: The black-whiskered man wanted to chip in enough to make it an even $10,000.
[UK]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’.
[UK]Binstead & Wells Pink ’Un and Pelican 255: The crowd only chipped in two dollars.
[Aus]Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 13 Feb. 1/2: The club had to chip in and the lady got her brass.
[US]S. Ford Shorty McCabe 205: I [...] motioned to Sadie to let him spiel away, never chippin’ in a word.
[US]‘O. Henry’ ‘A Tempered Wind’ Gentle Grafter (1915) 181: I chip in that much brain work free.
[UK]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.
[UK]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.
[US]D. Runyon ‘Broadway Financier’ Runyon on Broadway (1954) 207: The citizens around Mindy’s chip in and send Silk a taxicab full of orchids.
[UK]Wodehouse Mating Season 135: The callous way in which Nature refuses to chip in and do its bit.
[US]Kerouac On the Road (The Orig. Scroll) (2007) 129: They chipped in some, and Slim some, and I bought a fifth.
[US]L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 125: Wanna chip in?
[US]D. Goines Dopefiend (1991) 95: Let’s chip in and get a couple bottles of grapes.
[US]E. Torres After Hours 53: He hadn’t had a chance to chip into my comin’-home kitty.
[UK]Viz Oct./Nov. 27: Both chipped in a fiver.
[US]Snoop Doggy Dogg ‘Gin & Juice’ 🎵 Everybody got they cups, but they ain’t chipped in.
[UK]N. Griffiths Grits 60: Every twat chips in like, no fucker goes hungry.
[UK]K. Richards Life 91: Everybody would chip in two quid.
1011 ‘Next Up?’ 🎵 When your bro got touched, did you even chip in for a strap?
[Scot]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.

[US]‘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.

[US]B. Harte ‘In the Tunnel’ in Overland Monthly II 284/2: Just you chip in, / Say you knew Flynn.
[US]‘Mark Twain’ Innocents at Home I 356: I’ll be there and chip in and help, too.
[Aus]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.’.
[UK]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.
[UK]Marvel XV:373 Jan. 9: His consarned Sioux pards chipped in somewhat, too, and we fellers sorter got it in the neck!
[UK]Gem 7 Oct. 7: If any of you kids know how to shoot, I may let you chip in.
[Aus]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.
[US]Z.N. Hurston Sweat (1995) 960: Heah, everybody chip in.
[NZ]F. Sargeson Man and His Wife (1944) 75: We all chipped in to say he was a dirty old man.
Associated Press 29 Jan. n.p.: State Assembly Speaker, Oswald D. Heck chipped in with: ‘The state’s budget reflects [...] integrity.’ [W&F].
[US]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.
[UK]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.

[US]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.
[US]G.W. Peck Peck’s Sunshine 256: He chipped in an occasional remark.
[UK]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.
[UK]A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 32: ‘I care nothing about taking liberties!’ cried Swears, chipping in.
[UK]J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 186: It was high time for me to chip in.
[UK]Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 24: ‘Here, I say!’ I chipped in.
[US]D. Runyon ‘Gentlemen, the King!’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 179: The little kid chips in and cutting the cabman’s moral soliloquy short.
[Aus]‘Banjo’ Paterson Shearer’s Colt 119: Before Red Fred could answer Mr Noall chipped in.
[UK]A. Sillitoe Sat. Night and Sun. Morning 35: He chipped-in with his share of the talking, yet never shouted or swore.
[UK]J.R. Ackerley We Think The World Of You (1971) 27: Millie at once chipped in with: ‘That’s enough from you!’.
[UK]F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 132: ‘Put a sock in it, chum,’ I chipped in.
[UK]A-Team Storybook 6: ‘That’s one way of looking at it,’ Face Man chipped in.
[UK]D. Jarman diary 2 Nov. Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 246: Terry’s agent chipped in.
[UK]Guardian G2 27 Mar. 15: His mother chips in.