chin music

noun

A fastball thrown near the batter's chin, often to set up a subsequent pitch thrown low and outside.

“Jones backed Smith off the plate with a little chin music.”

Similar
prateprattleidle talkblether
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounchin music (uncountable)
  1. informaluncountableball gamesA fastball thrown near the batter's chin, often to set up a subsequent pitch thrown low and outside.

    Jones backed Smith off the plate with a little chin music.

  2. informaluncountableball gamesA bouncer aimed near the batsman's chin.
  3. USdatedslanguncountableIdle talk; chatter.
  4. informaluncountablefolk musicRhythmic singing, usually to nonsense syllables, in a style partly inspired by the instruments used to accompany folk dancing in Irish and Scottish traditions.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounidle or foolish and irrelevant talk

Similar
prateprattleidle talkblether
Broader
yakyackyakety-yak
Also see
prateprattle

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

(folk music): The name jokingly refers to "playing" the mouth as if it were an instrument.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

chin music. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chin%20music

MLA

“chin music.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chin%20music. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chin music,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chin%20music.

Source: chin music on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.