this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 78 points 11 months ago (4 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I was with you until "ALL 3"... help

[–] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (3 children)

That’s… still only two.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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"

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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!

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

Thinly cut chips. Fat chips. Crisps.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 11 months ago (2 children)

it holds, but we might refer to "fries" as hot chips if there's possibility of confusion

[–] [email protected] 20 points 11 months ago (5 children)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I dunno, man. It's always been 'hot chips' for people I know if clarification is needed

[–] [email protected] 25 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It's context sensitive. We know what we mean.

  1. "I'm going to pick up some chips on my way to your place."
  2. "Hey, can i have some of your chips?"

Couldn't be simpler.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

At least use chips and chippies like the Kiwis.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Do you mean, chups and chuppies?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

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.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago
[–] [email protected] 25 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They're Hot Chips if you're being fancy

[–] jscummy 13 points 11 months ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 20 points 11 months ago

Shut up and get some real i.e. Belgian fries.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 11 months ago (1 children)

as an Australian let me explain, fast to get, unhealthy potato = chips.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 11 months ago

This isn't poking fun at us, this is just facts :)

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Let's confuse them even more:

Hot chips and potato chips.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They’re freedom fries now

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Never forget

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You see, Chips are deep fried slices of potato, but Chips are ..

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (12 children)

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.

[–] nyahlathotep 17 points 11 months ago (3 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (3 children)

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

[–] nyahlathotep 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ziggy Fries

Had to google this, we call those crinkle-cut fries

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

we call those crinkle-cut fries

Not anymore. How can we go back after realizing Ziggy Fries is an option?

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

My friend from Adelaide always says crisps.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (3 children)

How do you have a conversation if they always say a single word?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 11 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (4 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (4 children)

American here. Yeah, chips/crisps are sold in restaurants. They’re usually bagged too lmao. Like the restaurant just got them from the supermarket.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Please specify that is like super casual restaurants and maybe fast food. Not a general thing.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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.

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[–] ThrowawayPermanente 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Latin America: Hold my beer

[–] Francis_Fujiwara 7 points 11 months ago (5 children)

Frituras, Papitas, Sabritas, Papas Fritas...

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

the only question i have is why does the person representing aussies looks like Jackie Chan?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

Yeah, that rage comic reaction was made from a Jackie Chan image.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Fun fact: he lived in Australia in the 70s.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

I've not seen that lulzsec character in a long long time...

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