chope

To reserve a seat, table or spot — most famously at a Singapore hawker centre — by placing an object on it, traditionally a packet of tissues. A pure Singlish coinage with no clear etymological parent; possibly a corruption of "chop" (the rubber stamp once used to mark official property). The "chope" tissue packet is treated as a binding social contract: locals will generally respect it, while tourists frequently learn the rule the hard way. Now extended figuratively: "chope a slot" for a meeting, "chope the showers" at the gym.