Batter — Coating mix for fish/fritters; see batter science.
Bits / scraps — Fried batter fragments sold or given as extras in some regions.
Chippy — Fish and chip shop.
Cone — Paper service shape common in some frites cultures.
Cross-contact — Allergen transfer via oil/tools (not the same as recipe ingredients).
Dripping — Beef fat used historically/ currently in some fryers.
Fish supper — Scottish-leaning term for fish and chips as a unit.
Loaded fries — Fries as a base for toppings; different purity test than chippy chips.
Mushy peas — Marrowfat pea side; soft, savoury.
Parcel — Wrapped takeaway serving.
Recovery time — How fast fryer oil returns to temperature.
S&V — Salt and vinegar.
Twice-cooked / triple-cooked — Multi-stage chip methods for interior fluff + exterior shatter.
Terms that trip up visitors and newcomers
A few words mean different things depending on where you are, or overlap with other countries' food words.
- Chips (UK) vs fries (US). British chips are thicker, cut from floury potatoes and usually fried twice. "Fries" in the UK usually means thin, fast-food style. Crisps are what Americans call chips.
- Chip butty. Chips in a buttered white roll or between two slices of bread, sometimes with brown sauce or ketchup. Called a chip barm in parts of Lancashire and Greater Manchester, a chip cob in the East Midlands, and a chip bap or chip roll elsewhere.
- Fish supper. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, fish with chips. A "fish" on its own is just the fish.
- Salt and sauce. Edinburgh and east-of-Scotland seasoning: a thin brown sauce thinned with vinegar, used instead of plain vinegar.
- Non-brewed condiment. An acetic-acid liquid coloured to look like malt vinegar. Many chip shops use it because it's cheaper than malt vinegar and doesn't contain barley. It can't legally be sold as "vinegar", hence the name.
- Dripping. Rendered beef fat, the traditional frying medium in much of Yorkshire and the North. Chips fried in it aren't vegetarian, so ask if that matters to you.
- Scraps / bits. Loose fried batter. Often free in the North West if you ask.
- Mushy peas. Dried marrowfat peas, soaked and simmered until soft. Sometimes coloured bright green.
- Rock / huss / rock salmon. Names used in the South for dogfish, a small shark sold as a cheaper alternative to cod.
- Chip spice. A seasoning blend, famously from Hull, with paprika, salt and other spices, sprinkled on chips instead of plain salt.
- Twice-fried / double-fried. Chips fried first at a lower temperature to cook through, then at a higher one to crisp. See triple-cooked chips for the three-stage version.
If your region uses a word we've missed, the contact page is the place to send it.
Related
How to use this glossary
Jump terms when a guide assumes knowledge. Suggest additions via Contact if we missed regional vocabulary.
Core terms (expanded)
Batter — flour/liquid coating for fish; style varies by shop.
Scraps / bits — fried batter fragments; love them or do not.
Chippy tea — meal-as-event, often Friday.
Open / closed — fish presentation; regional language differs.
Rag pudding / specials — local extras beyond cod-and-chips.
Pair with regional UK and chip shop guide for context in the wild.