Chirp

Chirp is another term for trash talk, directed toward an opponent, their bench or the refs., often leads to fantastic sound and video clips for YouTube.

In any sport, there’s an element of trash-talking designed to unnerve the opponent and get him thinking about something other than the game at hand. Hockey insults are known as “chirps”, and players use the best hockey chirps on ice rinks all across North America. The basic theory behind any kind of trash-talking is that, by disrupting your opponent’s concentration and confidence through chirping, you gain a competitive edge that might just help you win. (Not to mention that chirping can be just plain fun, as long as the insults aren’t mean or degrading.) Hockey chirps are common from peewee hockey all the way through the NHL, and the funniest chirps are told and retold, just like good jokes.

Of course, any insults based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and the like, and these kinds of chirps won’t be tolerated by refs, coaches, or parents. Aside from the fact that such insults are truly hurtful, a youth or high school player might find himself ejected if a ref hears something objectionable. Plus, your goal isn’t to make your opponent so mad that he wants to beat you more than anything; instead, you just want to rattle him a bit so he’s inside his head instead of focused on his game play.

It should go without saying that chirping at the refs is a recipe for disaster. You’re not doing your team any good from the locker room, after being sent off the ice. Just because you hear NHL players doing it doesn’t mean it’s okay in lower leagues.

Example: Are you gonna let that bender chirp you like that?