Chitty chitty

Those potatoes are sprouting, or as we gardeners say, chitting. Ready to be planted soon.

Chit. An odd word. This is its only use as a verb but as a noun it means a short written note of information or instruction. My half brother, The Old Man, when invited to do something (such as participate in a social event or other happening that he didn't like the sound of) would say he had a chit for it. It was one of the very few useful things he took away from his time in the army where a chit meant an official get-out from some unpleasant obligation you would otherwise be expected to perform such as overnight guard duty or peeling a sackful of spuds (not purple ones). It was gold dust.