The term “chips” was around before “fries” and used to mean, basically, “slices of fruit/vegetable”. French fries got popular in Britain early on, and they called them chips, because they were slices of potato.
Why do Brits call French fries chips?
Brits call chips chips because they are chips of potato which have been deep fried. Americans call French fries French fries because they are a skinny Americanised version of chips which originally came from Belgium, and Americans presumably don’t know the difference between Belgium and France.
Are fries called chips in the UK?
Think you know how to order French fries in Britain? You’re wrong! In the UK we have a worryingly high number of words for different types of potato foods. We call French fries just fries, and thicker-cut fries that come from a chip shop are called chips.
What do they call French fries in London?
Meanwhile, Brits call fat strips of potato that are (usually) deep fried and eaten with plenty of salt and vinegar “chips”. In the US these are “French Fries”, or often just “fries”.
What do they call chips in England?
Brits say “crisps,” Americans say “potato chips.”
Since Brits refer to fries as “chips,” they have a different name than Americans for potato chips ― “crisps.”
What do they call cookies in England?
Cookie or Biscuit
However, a biscuit in the U.K. and a cookie in the U.S. are inherently the same thing.
Is chips American or British word?
British vs American Vocabulary
| British English ↕ | American English ↕ |
|---|---|
| chips | fries, French fries |
| cinema, the | movies, the |
| clothes peg | clothespin |
| coffin | coffin, casket |
What countries say chips instead of fries?
In the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand, the term chips is generally used instead, though thinly cut fried potatoes are sometimes called french fries or skinny fries, to distinguish them from chips, which are cut thicker.
Is chips a British English?
Chips is British English, French fries American. If you ask for chips in the US, you’ll get what we call crisps in Britain! Confusing, eh? British people often use the word fries, too because fast food chains in the UK such as McDonald’s and Burger King advertise the product as fries, not as chips.
What is London’s signature food?
Fish & Chips
There’s nothing that says ‘British Food’ like Fish & Chips. Known the world over, this traditional British dish is on the top of any foodie list for visitors to London and the U.K.
What do British people call curly fries?
Chips (UK) = Fries (USA). But to make the math even more difficult: Chips (UK) ≠ Wedges, thin fries, sweet potato fries, or curly fries.
What do Brits call zucchini?
This vegetable is called a courgette in the UK. Both words mean “the little squash”, but the US word comes from Italian and the British from French.
Why are cookies called biscuits in England?
This is because biscuits were originally cooked in a twofold process: first baked, and then dried out in a slow oven. This term was then adapted into English in the 14th century during the Middle Ages, in the Middle English word bisquite, to represent a hard, twice-baked product (see the German Zwieback).
What do they call chips in Australia?
In England, they’re called “Walkers” (and “crisps” instead of “chips”); in Egypt, Chipsy; and in Australia, Smith’s. Most countries use the same circular red-and-yellow logo, but Australia’s Smith’s use a red, yellow, and blue diamond.
What do they call cupcakes in England?
A cupcake (also British English: fairy cake; Hiberno-English: bun) is a small cake designed to serve one person, which may be baked in a small thin paper or aluminum cup.
What do British people call chocolate?
A little packaged good for your candy craving would be called “sweets” or “sweeties” in Britain. Just don’t call that Cadbury’s bar a sweet: it’s chocolate.
What do British call scones?
Americans are the outlier on how we use “biscuit”
American biscuits are small, fluffy quick breads, leavened with baking powder or buttermilk and served with butter and jam or gravy. They are close to what the British would call scones.
What do British call condoms?
Rubber
Rubber. This is an informal way of saying condom on the US – so a rubber is a contraceptive. We just call them condoms in the UK. And we use rubbers to remove pencil marks from paper.
What do British call boots?
shoe
*Watch out!* A boot can also describe a shoe and a trunk can also describe an elephant’s nose!
How much British English do you know?
| British English (Br) | American English (Am) |
|---|---|
| bill (restaurant) | rubber boots / rain boots |
| boot (car) | French fries |
| pocket money | check |
What do Brits call Oreos?
They are officially called “chocolate sandwich cookies“. It says so right on the package.
Do British say taxi or cab?
I think “taxi” is the more common term in the UK, but most people will understand “cab”. There is a distinction between a “taxi” and a “black cab”, though.