chopped liver
Pronunciations
chopped liver | (CHOPT LIH-ver) | listen |
Definitions
n. A pate made from chopped chicken liver and onions.
n. "Someone perceived as being of little value or worth, as evidenced by being ignored when others are getting attention" (source).
Example Sentences
"You offered everyone else cholent, but not me. What am I, chopped liver?"
Languages of Origin
- English
Who Uses This
- Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
Regions
- North America
Dictionaries
- The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
Notes
"Since eating chopped liver may not be appreciated by everyone, the Jewish English expression 'What am I, chopped liver?' signifies frustration or anger at being ignored on a social level...An explanation of the expression is that chopped liver was traditionally served as a side dish rather than a main course. The phrase therefore may have originally expressed a feeling of being overlooked, as a 'side dish'" (source).
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