"pass up like a white chip" is an old or dialect word meaning to reject or ignore; to treat as worthless. If your teen uses it, they have most likely picked it up from a book, video game, period drama, or a regional grandparent rather than a modern peer group. There is no cause for concern here; the word is largely out of contemporary teen usage. If it appears in a school text, it is being studied for vocabulary or historical context. You can treat it like any other archaic vocabulary item.
pass up like a white chip
(transitive, obsolete, US, simile) To reject or ignore; to treat as worthless.
Definitions
(transitive, obsolete, US, simile) To reject or ignore; to treat as worthless.
"pass up like a white chip" is an old or dialect word meaning to reject or ignore; to treat as worthless. If your teen uses it, they have most likely picked it up from a book, video game, period drama, or a regional grandparent rather than a modern peer group. There is no cause for concern here; the word is largely out of contemporary teen usage. If it appears in a school text, it is being studied for vocabulary or historical context. You can treat it like any other archaic vocabulary item.
"pass up like a white chip" is obsolete or literary English meaning to reject or ignore; to treat as worthless. It is mainly used in North American English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "to reject or ignore" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to use "pass up like a white chip" in modern conversation; it will sound strange or theatrical. Recognise it in older texts, but use the modern equivalent when speaking. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Semantically related
- pass up76%
(idiomatic, transitive) To refuse ; forgo.
- pass up72%
(Singapore, Malaysia, transitive) To submit items to a person, usually one's teacher.
- chuck it up61%
(slang) To quit a job.
- chuck up61%
(dated, transitive and intransitive) To chuck up the sponge; to give up; to admit defeat; to break a contract; to abandon or quit (something).
- hard pass60%
(informal, idiomatic) An unequivocal rejection with no possibility of a later change of mind.