12 mo. ago • 97%

A rage comic poking fun at the Aussies. Does it still hold up?

89 comments

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.

76
- I was with you until "ALL 3"... help
  
  47
  
  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.
  
  24
- What do they ask in order to clarify?
  
  ETA: "french fries or crisps?"
  
  4
  
  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)
  
  5
- Pretty much.
  
  3
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.
25
- At least use chips and chippies like the Kiwis.
  
  8
  
  Do you mean, chups and chuppies?
  
  8
  
  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.
  
  6
- simple as
  
  5
They're Hot Chips if you're being fancy

25
- Eat hot chip and lie
  
  12
  
  All we know how to do is
  
  2
  
  Have you heard the song?
  
  1
it holds, but we might refer to "fries" as hot chips if there's possibility of confusion

24
- 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.
  
  20
  
  Do they have Red Rooster and Chicken Treat in the US?
  
  5
- I dunno, man. It's always been 'hot chips' for people I know if clarification is needed
  
  5
This isn't poking fun at us, this is just facts :)

19
as an Australian let me explain, fast to get, unhealthy potato = chips.

19
- That does seem simpler at least.
  
  3
Let's confuse them even more:

Hot chips and potato chips.

11
- How about a bag of French Fries potato chips?
  
  2
They’re freedom fries now

11
- Never forget
  
  5
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.

10
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.

8
- 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.
  
  13
  
  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
  
  10
  
  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
  
  2
  
  Yes we do and they are delicious.
  
  1
- Came here to say this, McDonald's give you fries, fish and chip shop gives you chips
  
  3
- In the US, those would be called either “steak fries”, “potato wedges”, or perhaps “Jojos”.
  
  3
  
  They're called JoJo's. I will die on this hill. Same goes for pop and hotdish.
  
  2
My friend from Adelaide always says crisps.

8
- How do you have a conversation if they always say a single word?
  
  1
  
  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.
  
  1
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.

8
- Restaurants exclusively serve fries as far as I could tell. Even with sandwiches.
  
  Even with sandwiches
  
  Wat
  
  2
  
  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.
  
  2
- 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.
  
  0
  
  American here. Yeah, chips/crisps are sold in restaurants. They’re usually bagged too lmao. Like the restaurant just got them from the supermarket.
  
  0
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

7
You see, Chips are deep fried slices of potato, but Chips are ..

7
- Hot chips and potato chips if you need to be specific, for everything else there's context.
  
  1
  
  potato chips
  
  Because hot chips are made from beets, of course :p
  
  3
I've not seen that lulzsec character in a long long time...

5
Latin America: Hold my beer

5
- Frituras, Papitas, Sabritas, Papas Fritas...
  
  6
the only question i have is why does the person representing aussies looks like Jackie Chan?

5
- Yeah, that rage comic reaction was made from a Jackie Chan image.
  
  10
- Fun fact: he lived in Australia in the 70s.
  
  5
  
  Huh I had no idea
  
  2
Pommes Chips

4
- Gefunden den Deutschen
  
  2
You know which one is what cause they call them potato chips

4
Papas fritas, papas fritas.

4
Wait really?

4
None of those pictures are chips, they're all fries, chips are chunky.

3
- So you're also chips
  
  3
French: Les Frites; Les Chips

3
- Hon hon hon le bonjour
  
  2
The best way is to use fries and crisps, and reserve chips for chocolate

3
- French fries are technically more of a chip than a potato chip, definition wise. But I think your way is the best way, too.
  
  1
*cheeps 🇦🇺

2
Today I feel french

2
Where do chisps fit in

2
Patatas fritas, patatas de bolsa.

2
Chips und Fritts.

1
French fries are crispy, potato chips are crunchy. If one looks like a "chip" off a potato, it's the potato chip. We should be using the metric system and sure sometimes a school might get shot up once a day or two BUT AT LEAST WE GOT THAT RIGHT

1

You've viewed 89 comments.