Chalk it up
/tʃɔːk ɪt ʌp/
phrasal verbB2
Definition
"Chalk it up" is a phrase used to explain or give a reason for something, usually a result or event. It often means to accept or blame something for what happened, sometimes in a casual or forgiving way. The phrase comes from the old practice of writing scores or accounts with chalk on a board.
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⚡ See It in Action
To explain or give a reason for a situation or event
- •If the team lost the game, you can chalk it up to bad weather.
- •She chalked her mistake up to being tired after a long day.
- •Let's chalk it up to a learning experience and try again.
To accept or attribute something, often a fault or failure
- •He chalked up the failure to bad luck rather than poor planning.
- •When the computer crashed, they just chalked it up to old equipment.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "chalk it up" like "say why," but with the idea of writing down a reason or cause.
- ✓Picture a teacher writing a student's score on a blackboard with white chalk—each mark shows a reason for the final result.
- ✓It's the feeling when you explain why something went wrong, like saying "It happened because of this."
- ✓Sounds like "chalk it up" → imagine chalk going up on a board to show a note or score explaining something.
- ✓Imagine old shops where sellers wrote debts or purchases on a chalkboard—"chalk it up" means to add something to the list of reasons or causes.
- ✓NOT like "blame" only (which can be negative and harsh), "chalk it up" can be softer and sometimes means just "explain" or "accept."
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (not paying attention), "chalk it up" means you notice something and give it a reason.
- ✓NOT like "fix" (to repair), "chalk it up" is about understanding or explaining, not changing.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Attribute to: to say something is the cause (Use in formal or written English)
- •Put down to: to explain the reason for something (Use in casual spoken English, similar meaning)
- •Assign: to give responsibility or cause (Use when talking about official or formal reasons)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "chalk" (a soft white substance used for writing) + "it" (the thing to explain) + "up" (direction, here meaning 'to add or record')
- •Etymology: Comes from the practice of writing marks or scores with chalk on boards or walls to keep track of accounts or results
- •Historical development: Used since the 19th century in English to mean recording or noting something as a reason or cause
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to explain causes of events, especially mistakes or failures, often in informal speech
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How can using "chalk it up" change the way we talk about problems or mistakes?
•Can "chalk it up" be used to make a negative situation feel less serious? How?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.When the project failed, the manager chalked it up to ___ ___ ___ poor communication between teams.
2.Sometimes, people chalk it up to ___ ___ ___ bad luck rather than their own actions.
3.She tried to chalk it up to ___ ___ ___ tiredness after working all night.
4.Instead of blaming anyone, they decided to chalk it up and ___ ___ ___ move forward.
5.If you chalk it up to experience, you see mistakes as ___ ___ ___ chances to learn.
6.The teacher chalked it up to ___ ___ ___ a simple misunderstanding during the test.
7.When things go wrong, some people find it easier to chalk it up to ___ ___ ___ external causes.