chop logic

chop logic adjective: characterized by equivocation or by overly complex or specious argumentation; improperly reasoned.

Adjective

chop logic (not comparable)

(sometimes hyphenated) Characterized by equivocation or by overly complex or specious argumentation; improperly reasoned.
- Many of the jokes are far past saving and a good bit of the chop logic word play is tedious word work.1974 July 1, T. E. Kalem, “Bard Becalmed”, in Time
Synonyms:

choplogical, illogical

chop logic (plural chop logics)

(uncountable, sometimes hyphenated) Chopped logic: reasoning which is improper; sophistry.
- Mere chop-logic!—you have nothing to say.1881, Georg Ebers, chapter 4, in The Emperor
- "Up in his ivory tower, the editor of the Times will at last realize that the American people will not be bulldozed, regimented and stripped of their suffrage by fine phrases, chop logic, invitations to the millennium, and the jaded ambitions of indispensable men."1944 November 13, “Moses' Masterpiece”, in Time
(countable, obsolete, usually hyphenated) A logic chopper: one who makes confusing or specious arguments, especially arguments involving equivocation.
- How now, how now, chop-logic! What is this?
  'Proud,' and 'I thank you,' and 'I thank you not;'
  And yet 'not proud,' mistress minion, you,
  Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds,
  But fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next.c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...

chop logic (third-person singular simple present chops logic, present participle chopping logic, simple past and past participle chopped logic)

(obsolete) To talk back, bandy words; to argue generally.
- Vngracious childe I warrant him, harke how hee chops logicke with his mother1607 (first performance), [Francis Beaumont], The Knight of the Burning Pestle, London: […] [Nicholas Okes] for Walter Burre, […], published 1613, →OCLC, Act I, signature C3, recto
To argue skillfully, using complex logic or clever reasoning.
- When the tables are drawn, you shall hold a disputation with him. It will be sport to hear how you chop logic at your Universities yonder.1869, Charlotte M. Yonge, chapter 17, in The Caged Lion
- King James delighted to chop logic and theology with the doctors of the university.1905, "Andrew Lang's Charming Sketches of the English University" (review of Oxford by Andrew Lang), New York Times, 1 Dec.
To make an argument which is illogical, especially one which is overly complex or which improperly uses fine or clever distinctions; to equivocate.
- If you are going to chop logic and use Latin words, I think it is time for us to leave the room.1866, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter 24, in Wives and Daughters
- Varro, as Kent remarks (p. 418, n.f), is by no means logical in every detail; he merely chops logic when he declares that curro lacks the perfect participle.1940, J. Whatmough, “Review of Varro on the Latin Language: With an English Translation by Roland G. Kent,”, in Classical Philology, volume 35, number 1, page 85

Adjective
alternative form	chop-logic
alternative form	choplogic
Noun
plural	chop logics
Verb
third-person singular present	chops logic
present participle	chopping logic
past participle	chopped logic
past	chopped logic

What does chop logic mean?: Chop logic means characterized by equivocation or by overly complex or specious argumentation; improperly reasoned.
What part of speech is chop logic?: Chop logic can be an adjective, a noun or a verb.

Adapted from Wiktionary: chop logic (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this entry: “chop logic.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/chop_logic. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.