Idioma!

http://scout.wisc.edu/Projects/PastProjects/net-news/00-02/00-02-28/0004.html

**Weekly Trivia**


Question: Why is someone who feels like fighting said to have "a chip on
their shoulder"?


The Answer: This saying dates back to the early 1800's, when American bars
had sawdust floors. A man who felt like picking a fight would pick up a
wood chip from the floor and place it on his shoulder, challenging anybody
to knock it off. Such challenges were rarely refused, and typically ended
when the chip and one of the fighters ended up on the floor.


Bars in England and Ireland had a similar custom. Drinkers looking to
brawl would "trail a coat", dangling it behind them as a challenge. The
hope was that somebody would step on the coat, giving cause for a fight.
These days, the fight would more likely be over who is going to pay the
dry cleaning bill for the coat.
(Source: WHY YOU SAY IT by Webb Garrison)