Weird thought: what are chopsticks called in China or Japan? Is 'chopsticks' a direct translation of what their word means, or something the English came up with? Like, you don't chop with them, and I don't think something as thin and straight as they are is made by chopping, so...

ok, apparently in chinese, the characters meant 'quick' and 'bamboo'

which makes more sense

the Japanese etymology is "small bamboo stick"

that also makes sense