choppy
adj.— «The market was, as they say, “choppy.” Now we had best get definitions sorted out: some people use the word “choppy” to mean “not nice”…as in “Sure, she may look terrific, but her manners are pretty choppy.” In trading parlance a “choppy” market isn’t necessarily “not nice,” it’s often just boring. (Last night is another matter—it got, as we say, chopped to pieces). Choppy in this context just means “not prepared to go anywhere in any sort of hurry.”» —“USRant: It Was Boring…Until It Wasn’t” by GT MarketRant Jan. 14, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...
Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated...