A bit of horse sense

4 comments May 30th, 2008

We recently used the phrase “chomping at the bit,” meaning showing “impatience at restraint,” being “restless.”
It comes from the chewing of a horse on an actual bit, probably because it’s so uncomfortable.

The word “chomping” is still considered a “dialectical variant” of “champing,” so the preferred form is “champing at the bit.”

Similarly, “stamping ground” is better than “stomping ground.”