Small, slim, squished from what was once a potato but is now full of basically fuck all=fries/french fries. (I've called them this for around 40 years)
Very thin, usually round-ish, and crispy=crisps
Chunky cuts of proper potato=chips.
Potato wedges are also a thing in the UK. They're distinct from chips in their shape; chips tend to be thick and rectangular, without skin. I tried googling steak fries, but it just kept coming back with pictures of wedges, and briefly considered we might actually be referring to different things when we each say wedges, so I promptly shut that can of worms, as we don't need more transatlantic dissension over potato based snacks.
In the UK we call the thin ones fries, probably because of the McDonalds ones. The thicker ones we call chips and yes we call the potato snacks that come in a bag crisps.
They're all the same thing, might as well call them the same things. I prefer my fries in a whole form, piped hot from the oven after an hour at 450F and covered with some salt and butter. If you want to get decadent, you can split the fry in half and put the butter inside. Some people even put sour cream, onion, chives, or bacon bits on the split fry.
Oh man, I haven't had good slap chips in over 10 years. I couldn't find anything decent after leaving Johannesburg and I haven't any clue how they get them like that.
Everyone is correct imo, wood from wood chipper would have some bits would resemble both, If you have a wooden furniture and it chips due to some damage, the part that chipped off can resemble either one. Theyre both crispened, so crisps works for both too. And theyre both "fried" or baked with oil.
The real question is why the heck do us americans calll them "french" fries, or for that matter, what is up with french toast, french braid, french kiss, and french maid. None of this shit is of french origin.
Watching Letterkenny the other day, and it seems to have taught me about the existence of "All dressed chips". Being from the middle of the US (I apologize), never heard of that before, but now I needs to goes and finds me a bag or two.
What do yanks call thick cut chips? It seems "burger and fries" is burned into their national psyche (leading to memes such as these) but surely they have a word for the non shoestring fry version. Wedges? 🤔
Anyway, the Brits have probably got it right on this occasion, but context definitely helps with the dual usage in Aus. I'm not going to have fish and chips with crisps, and a packet of chips isn't going to be of the hot variety.
UK person here, and I'll say this:
No.
Small, slim, squished from what was once a potato but is now full of basically fuck all=fries/french fries. (I've called them this for around 40 years)
Very thin, usually round-ish, and crispy=crisps
Chunky cuts of proper potato=chips.
The US does have "potato wedges" which might be closer to what you're calling "chips" here.
Though we also have "steak fries" which are thicker fries
Potato wedges are also a thing in the UK. They're distinct from chips in their shape; chips tend to be thick and rectangular, without skin. I tried googling steak fries, but it just kept coming back with pictures of wedges, and briefly considered we might actually be referring to different things when we each say wedges, so I promptly shut that can of worms, as we don't need more transatlantic dissension over potato based snacks.
Also from the UK always called them skinny chips, used to be mostly called that when I was small as well.
Correct. Chips are fatter and cut from actual potatoes. Cross section is about a centimetre.
And what are fries made out of?