As an Australian I can comment on this, theres this wonderful thing called “Context”
At McDonalds they refer to them as fries, but if you ask for a large chips, they know what you mean. If you go into a petrol station and ask where the crisps are, nobodies head explodes. If you go into a place that has ALL 3 (french fries, chips and crisps) and say “Can I get some chips” the person will ask for clarificaton.
British roots and American television has made OUR english quite flexible.
I was with you until “ALL 3”… help
French fries and chips
As a rule most people I know think of french fries or fries as thin cut and chips as thick cut. Most restaraunts only do one or the other. If you ask for steak and chips and they do fries, they will either clarify for you (more likely) or just bring you fries.
That’s… still only two.
Context and qualifying information. All 3 are considered “chips” like a baguette, a hot dog bun and a regular sandwich loaf are all “bread”
Nobody asks for steak and chips expecting a packet of potato chips next to a plate with just a steak on it. People usually ask for “A packet of salt and vinegar chips please” they dont just shout “CHIPS!” at someone expecting them to figure shit out. If I were to send a child to the shop I would give specific information. “A Big bag of plain chips” or “A large hot chips”
Nobody asks for steak and chips expecting a packet of potato chips next to a plate with just a steak on it.
You’re in for a whole experience then if you ever visit Scotland!
Ive been, the country that invented haggis doesnt get to enter in on food discussions.
A Scot went to culinary school and had to be told “boiling” something is just like deep frying but with water before he understood.
Thinly cut chips. Fat chips. Crisps.
I think they’re describing how fries and chips as fries are different. Thick cut (or steak cut) fries are chips, shoestring fries are fries, and US chips/UK crisps are crisps if they serve all 3.
I thought I was understanding until this part of the thread and now I feel like you guys have to do a lot of clarification. 😂
Pretty much.
What do they ask in order to clarify?
ETA: “french fries or crisps?”
Not many places offer both, but “a packet of barbeque chips” vs “$5 worth of chips” or “small chips” are were distinct
In the imaginary situation where there are all three (why not more!)
- chips (thick hot chips)
- fries (thin hot chips)
- packet of chips (crisps)
it holds, but we might refer to “fries” as hot chips if there’s possibility of confusion
I would say the distinction between fries and chips is the thickness.
Macca’s has fries, KFC and a lot of other places have chips.
Do they have Red Rooster and Chicken Treat in the US?
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Wait, they dont have Chicken Treat outside of Western Australia?!
You guys have never had Chicken Treat?!!
Not seen them in QLD.
I’ve never heard of either so my guess is no.
I dunno, man. It’s always been ‘hot chips’ for people I know if clarification is needed
They’re Hot Chips if you’re being fancy
Eat hot chip and lie
All we know how to do is
Have you heard the song?
It’s context sensitive. We know what we mean.
- “I’m going to pick up some chips on my way to your place.”
- “Hey, can i have some of your chips?”
Couldn’t be simpler.
At least use chips and chippies like the Kiwis.
Do you mean, chups and chuppies?
Yes, sorry.
We also say chips and chips. If you need to clarify, crisps are “potato chips” and chips are “hot chips”. A chippie is a shop that sells (fish and) chips, not the chips themselves.
simple as
Shut up and get some real i.e. Belgian fries.
as an Australian let me explain, fast to get, unhealthy potato = chips.
That does seem simpler at least.
This isn’t poking fun at us, this is just facts :)
Let’s confuse them even more:
Hot chips and potato chips.
How about a bag of French Fries potato chips?
You see, Chips are deep fried slices of potato, but Chips are …
Hot chips and potato chips if you need to be specific, for everything else there’s context.
potato chips
Because hot chips are made from beets, of course :p
Usually not a problem because of context but you can easily specify hot chips or packet chips in places where they might have both such as a school or sports canteen.
They’re freedom fries now
Never forget
Errr… I’m from the UK and they’re fries. These are chips
If it’s think it’s fries, if it’s thick it’s a chip.I’m American, and I’d call those steak fries. We also have potato wedges, which aren’t called fries for some reason and look like this
They’re seasoned with a spice blend, and delicious. Do you have curly fries in the UK? They’re a similar flavor.
We have wedges and curly fries here in the UK too :). We have Chips, Fries, Curly Fries, Potato Wedges, Salt and Pepper chips, Ziggy Fries and many more I assume
Ziggy Fries
Had to google this, we call those crinkle-cut fries
we call those crinkle-cut fries
Not anymore. How can we go back after realizing Ziggy Fries is an option?
Why is it not Ziggy Chips? Sounds way better.
Might even tell people to call me that from now on…
wedges might be the only one I would only ever refer to as wedges and never as chips, while fries, crisps, hot chips are all “chips” as an australian
Yes we do and they are delicious.
Came here to say this, McDonald’s give you fries, fish and chip shop gives you chips
In the US, those would be called either “steak fries”, “potato wedges”, or perhaps “Jojos”.
They’re called JoJo’s. I will die on this hill. Same goes for pop and hotdish.
I was about to ask where the hell you were from, that calling a fry a Jojo was a normal, acceptable thing, and then I didn’t have to.
Fucking pop. The only thing worse is people in the South south who call every soft drink coke. I hope you are ready to die on that hill, because you’re about to.
Ugh, “pop”. Your comment has mad Midwest vibes; you sound like my grandma.
Wtf is hotdish? I’ve never even heard of that before. Even my phone is telling me that that’s not a real word.
Honestly, the Midwest is something else. It’s like they intentionally do everything their own fucked up way just because.
“Reece’s Pieces? We’re gonna call them ‘Reecie’s Piecies’, even though the name isn’t ever pronounced ‘Reecie’ and the word is not ever pronounced ‘piecie’, because fuck you.”
You guys yell at anyone putting ketchup on a hotdog because it’s too sweet, and then proceed to absolutely drown it in sweet relish, the most foul condiment known to man. You guys have no right to consider yourselves the hotdog aficionados after that and only a fool would believe you.
Never had a hotdish? You should try my tatortot hotdish. You’ll get it then.
As someone who says reecie’s piecies, honestly it’s just a fun way to say lmao. I’ve just gotten irony poisoned into always saying it.
How dare you insult relish, it’s an essential part of every hotdog (pls don’t tell my Chicago friends). Honestly I’d much rather have dill relish, but it’s harder to find
According to wikipedia
A hotdish is a casserole dish that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup that must be served hot or warm.
So it’s just a casserole. Sounds yummy
Honestly I’m so onboard with hotdish. “Casserole” is one of the least appetizing names for a type of food.
They’re only JoJo’s when they have the skin on them still. Otherwise they’re just thick cut fries.
It’s soda, though, not pop. No idea what a hotdish even is, a casserole?
Native midwestern here, but I have no shame. I think ranch sucks, too
Heretic! I bet you also call water fountains “bubblers” you dirty Wisconsinite
Yep, proper chips are thick cut.
The shops sometimes call them chips as well, as if they think just any rectangular cut potato qualifies to be a chip.
Calling those thin things chips should be an offence.
My friend from Adelaide always says crisps.
How do you have a conversation if they always say a single word?
We got to know each other well prior to her conversion. She took a strict vow of silence, excluding “crisps”. We still talk. It’s impressive how much she can express with inflection.
I am groot
I am crisps.
Chips? Ice cream!
Yeah, but South Australians barely speak Australian
Just came back from Australia. Chips (or crisps) don’t seem to exist anywhere but grocery/convenience stores. So I never really heard them referred to as anything.
Restaurants exclusively serve fries as far as I could tell. Even with sandwiches. And they call them “chips” whether they are skinny or fat.
Where the fuck are you going to find a packet of chips outside of a supermarket. Restaurants overseas aren’t selling this shit alongside hot chips are they?
Also you can use fries, it’s not common and it really only refers to the little thin fuckers you get at maccas or some other fast food shitheap.
American here. Yeah, chips/crisps are sold in restaurants. They’re usually bagged too lmao. Like the restaurant just got them from the supermarket.
Please specify that is like super casual restaurants and maybe fast food. Not a general thing.
Yeah. There’s not many fancy restaurants that have that. But, like, most delis and bakeries you go to will usually have chips like that.
Sandwich shops like Subway are the only places I can think of. Places that are only expected to make the “main course”, as it were.
Geez okay, that’s, just wow. Like why? What sort of person buys this.
Americans use chips like a condiment. They even have preferences as to which flavours go on what sandwich or burger fillings. They’re redneck sommeliers.
Chips on a sandwich just gives it such a nice texture. Plus it’s extra salt and fat, what’s not to like?
Chips (or crisps) don’t seem to exist anywhere but grocery/convenience stores.
That… that’s normal, right? That’s where chips are supposed to come from.
Like, I have been to a restaurant or two that had “chips” on the menu, usually as “fish and chips” or some other battered and fried stick of meat “and chips” where, to my supreme bewilderment, the side was a pile of Lays, but, like, those restaurants were universally run by geriatrics in the middle of nowhere, served food on paper plates, and where wrong.
From the perspective of an American, chips or crisps are a common side for lunch foods, particularly for sandwiches. In fancier restaurants / cafes, they can be fancier “kettle chips” which can also be house made.
I know fancy “crisps” may not make much sense outside of America, but we have taken thinly slice fried potatoes to a gourmet level here.
Edit- also, tortilla chips are also a common side in southern California, and they are not at all like anything you can get overseas without really looking. And no, I’m not talking about Tostitos style chips that are used for shitty dips.
Restaurants exclusively serve fries as far as I could tell. Even with sandwiches.
Even with sandwiches
Wat
In America, fries with sandwiches does exist, but it’s more of a Diner thing, or restaurants that serve burgers and other entres that usually include fries. Chips with sandwiches is definitely much more common for cafes and delis where sandwiches are more of a primary menu option.
It’s communicated by context cues the same way one word has different meanings and context points to towards the meaning the person is communicating with a word
Though it does get annoying when the context cues are missing for example someone asking you if you want chips and not specifying what type
I’m guessing Australian language for “chips” calls them both that because they are a product made from potato that is usually salted and the two in the image are just different styles of the same potato product
