An Indianism that needs a Wikipedia entry

by Hellsangel Tue Nov 05, 2013 2:20 pm

http://www.thehindu.com/books/know-your-english/know-your-english/article4570483.ece

What is the meaning of ‘clean chit’?

(Prashant Kumar, Buxar)

Whenever a politician is accused of some wrongdoing, a committee is usually set up to look into the matter. After a lengthy process, the individual accused of taking a bribe or favouring some member of the family, is given a ‘clean chit’. In India, the expression is used to mean ‘cleared of any wrongdoing’. Native speakers of English prefer to use ‘clean sheet’, instead.

A person who has a ‘clean sheet’ at the workplace has an impeccable track record. No one can point a finger at him and accuse him of any wrongdoing. The term is also used in sports.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_sheet#Association_football

In association football, a shutout is known as a clean sheet outside of North America. It can be attributed to the whole team, the defence or just the goalkeeper when they play an entire match without conceding a goal.
The term first appeared in the 1930s. Sports reporters of the era used separate pieces of paper to record the different statistical details of a game. If one team did not allow a goal, then that team's "details of goals conceded" page would appear blank, leaving a clean sheet. Because association football is a relatively low-scoring game, it is common for one team, or even both teams, to score no goals.

by Guest Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:03 pm

WOW. this never struck me. now i am curious to know the etymology of "clean chit." how did it work its way into indian english? not from football i am sure.

by Hellsangel Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:17 pm

Brigadier HK (Retd) wrote:WOW. this never struck me. now i am curious to know the etymology of "clean chit." how did it work its way into indian english? not from football i am sure.

Merriam-Webster has this definition for chit:

chit noun
Definition of CHIT

1
: a short letter or note; especially : a signed voucher of a small debt (as for food)
2
: a small slip of paper with writing on it
Origin of CHIT

Hindi ciṭṭhī & Urdu chitthī
First Known Use: 1757

I guess it probably originated as a variation of clean bill (of health).

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