Chop-chop!

 

Did you know that the British Empire was the largest formal empire that has ever existed? At its height it included territories on all major continents, comprising about one quarter of the world’s population and area. It was referred to as "the empire on which the sun never sets” because the empire's span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous colonies. 

As you can imagine, British influence has been and still is strong throughout the world: in economic practice, legal and governmental systems, sports, and the English language itself which is the third largest language by number of native speakers and the most commonly spoken language in the world.

However, this is not a one-sided relationship. The languages of the different territories have also left their imprint on the English language, for instance the interjection “chop-chop” whose origins can be traced back to Cantonese, a variety of Chinese. Watch the video below and find out what it means.

Scroll down the page to find out if you've guessed correctly

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•  "Chop-chop"(informal): Hurry up!
• E.g.: Chop-chop! We haven't got all day!