chummy

comparative chummier · comparative more chummy · superlative chummiest · superlative most chummy

1. informalFriendly

   Yeah, I was just being nice! I was being nice and chummy!

   2001, Larry David, “Thor”, in Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 2, episode 2 (television production), Larry David (actor)

2. Friendly:
   1. informalNaturally and genuinely easy to get along with.

      Synonyms: affable, amiable, approachable, companionable, sociable, warm · Antonyms: aloof, cool, distant, formal, mannered, reserved, unfriendly, unsociable

   2. informalMaking a show of friendliness; attempting to be on intimate terms but insincerely or inappropriately; cozying up.

      Synonyms: familiar, fresh, ingratiating, smarmy, unctuous

3. informalOn intimate terms

   From what Brandon tells me, Andrea is getting pretty chummy with her dorm advisor!

   1993, “Moving Targets”, in Beverly Hills, 90210, season 4, episode 7 (television production), spoken by Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty)

   2 more examples

   Lachey and Olson have become rather chummy the last couple of years—they slide each other free tickets, they visit each other at practice sessions and games, their wives hang out—and, well, Olson has been filling Lachey’s head with a lot of baseball talk.

   1992 October, Steve Buckley, “Boss Hog: Jim Lachey is the best offensive lineman in football playing on the best team in football”, in Sport, volume 83, number 10, →ISSN, page 64

   She'd expected to sleep fitfully. Her bunk was in an alcove separated from the others physically by a server partition and sonically by an extra-loud electronic hum, which didn't surprise her since she'd only started attempting a chummier rapport with her troops in the year which hadn't happened.

   2023 September 18, HarryBlank, “Hidden Depths”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 25 May 2024

   Synonyms: tight

4. On intimate terms:
   1. informalIn a close friendship or relationship.

      Synonyms: tight

   2. informalOn intimate terms but in an inappropriate way, for dishonest or selfish motives, etc.

      Synonyms: tight

plural chummies

1. Synonym of chum (“friend, pal”).

   Sonny's knotted, distrustful face relaxed all at once. "You're goddamned right about that, chummy!" he exclaimed.

   1991, Stephen King, Needful Things

   1 more example

   Meanwhile the Tommies had discovered several large tins of ham in the captured lorry. 'That,' said the big Nazi, 'is for our tea.' 'No,' said a Tommy sergeant-major. 'That's for our tea. For you, chummy, we've kept a nice bit of bull.'

   1949, Stephen Peter Llewellyn, Journey Towards Christmas, page 142

   Synonyms: chum

2. obsoleteA chimney sweep; or a sweep's assistant, especially a young boy.

   Up in the Coombe with chummies and streetwalkers and then the rest of the year as sober as a judge.

   1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 8: Laestrygonians]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 159

3. slanggovernmentNickname for a person, especially a suspect or criminal.

   What happens when the Old Bill turns up and want to look at 'chummies^([sic]) dental records, guv, 'cos 'e's bitten a bloke's ear off in the pub'?

   2002, Roy C. Lilley, Paul Lambden, The Tool Kit for Dental Risk Management, page 21

4. datedA felt hat with a low crown.

   When Nipper was bowling he came in to the silliest of silly points, put his chummy hat well over his eyes, spat on his hands and generally annoyed the batsman so much that he lost his temper, […]

   1933, Christopher Bush, Return, page 133

   1 more example

   Joy Banham recalled that in 1942, some three years into the war, when the privilege of wearing the tricorn hat was extended to petty officers: 'While I was at St David's the new tricorn hats for Petty Officers came on stream. As new girls were drafted to us they came wearing the new hats. Whereas we still had the old canvas “chummies” and we were quite envious.

   quoted in 2021, Peter Hore, Bletchley Park's Secret Source (page 52)

5. EnglishNewfoundlandA person or thing with a name that one cannot immediately recall.

   Synonyms: Sorted by number of Google hits, widget, hickey, gizmo, thingy, gimmick, thingie, jigger