chip off the old block
Meaning
Someone (usually a child) is very similar to their parent in character, behavior, or abilities.
Origin
From woodworking/stonework: a “chip” cut from a larger “block” will be made of the same material, so it metaphorically suggests a child resembles the parent. Recorded in English from at least the 1600s.
Notes
Often used to praise or note resemblance between a child and parent; can be lightly ironic. Informal/common in speech. Often intensified as “a real chip off the old block.”
Examples
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Everyone says Maya is a chip off the old block—she has her mother’s laugh and her calm attitude.
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When I saw Liam fixing the bike without help, I thought, “Yep, a chip off the old block.”
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He’s a chip off the old block, always arriving early and taking work seriously like his dad.
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The coach joked that the rookie was a chip off the old block because his father played the same position.
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She may be young, but she’s a chip off the old block when it comes to negotiating a good deal.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used with the article: “a chip off the old block.” Often in a clause like “He’s a chip off the old block.” Can be modified: “a real/true chip off the old block.” The core phrase is fairly fixed.
Synonyms
- like father, like son
- like mother, like daughter
- a spitting image (of)
- the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Antonyms
- nothing like (someone)
- the apple falls far from the tree