A friendly or casual word for a fellow, guy, or boy, especially used in British English.
From 'chap,' which originally meant a crack in the skin, then evolved to mean a 'fellow' or 'person' (possibly from the idea of a person who's weathered or tough). The diminutive -y ending made it friendly and informal.
British English kept 'chappy' alive as a term of endearment while American English let 'chap' fade away—it's still the standard way Brits in novels and period dramas refer to each other, making it one of the most geographically divided words in English!
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