Louis Armstrong may not have been the first to use “chops” to refer to a musician’s embouchure. He does seem to deserve credit for transmuting it to mean technical ability, as in his celebrated description of a jam session: “Chops was flyin’ everywhere.” Like so many terms originated by jazz musicians, the word has worked its way into the general language. A reviewer, for instance, describes an actor who delivers an inspired performance as having his chops … MORE