# he's a chip off the old block

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hes-a-chip-off-the-old-block
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

The son is like the father

## Examples

- He plays guitar just like his father; he's a chip off the old block.
- When I saw the boy fix the engine with such ease, I knew he was a chip off the old block.
- Watching the young lawyer argue with his father's trademark intensity, the judge remarked that he was clearly a chip off the old block.

## Origin

From the older form 'a chip of the same block' (17th century); the image — a chip cut from the same wood as the parent block — goes back to ancient Greek (Theocritus). (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.