champ at the bit
Slang Dictionary

champ definition

[tʃæmp]
  1. n.
    a champion. (Also a term of address.) : Mark is a real champ—always there to help.
  2. n.
    a dependable member of the underworld. (Underworld. See also thoroughbred.) : Lefty is a champ. He stood by me the whole time.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

champ at the bit

Show impatience at being held back or delayed, as in The dismissal bell hadn't rung, but they were champing at the bit to leave. This term transfers the action of a horse that impatiently bites the bit in its mouth to human behavior. [Mid-1600s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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