humorous. [f. CHIPPY + -NESS.] State of being chippy, or ‘dry as a chip’; shortness of temper.
1867. Daily Tel., 31 Aug., 5/4. Trout mummified in crumbs, and baked to so thorough a chippiness that they crush into brown powder under your fork.
1887. Spectator, 26 March, 414/1. Better the utmost dryness, better sheer chippiness of manner.
