What is "french fries"

french fries \french fries\ french-fried potatoes \french-fried potatoes\ n. pl. Strips of potatoes, usually cut with a rectangular cross-section, cooked by immersing in hot fat or oil.

1903, American English, earlier French fried potatoes (by 1883), from French (adj.) + fry (v.). The name is from the method of making them by immersion in fat, which was then considered a peculiarity of French cooking.\n\nThere are 2 ways of frying known to cooks as (1) wet frying, sometimes called French frying or frying in a kettle of hot fat; and (2) dry frying or cooking in a frying pan. The best results are undoubtedly obtained by the first method, although it is little used in this country.

["The Household Cook Book," Chicago, 1902]

\nFrench frieds (1944) never caught on. Simple short form fries attested by 1973. In the Upper Midwest of the U.S., sometimes called, with greater accuracy, American fries (1950), and briefly during a period of mutual ill feeling, an attempt was made at freedom fries (2003; compare liberty-cabbage for sauerkraut during World War I). Related: French-fry.

alt. (context chiefly North America English) Strips of deep-fried potatoes. These potatoes have been frenched (cut into strips). n. (context chiefly North America English) Strips of deep-fried potatoes. These potatoes have been frenched (cut into strips).

n. strips of potato fried in deep fat [syn: french-fried potatoes, fries]

French fries ( American English), chips ( British English), fries, finger chips ( Indian English), or French-fried potatoes are batonnet or allumette cut potato that are deep-fried. In the United States and most of Canada, the term fries refers to any fried elongated pieces of potatoes, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand, allumette cut fried potatoes are sometimes called shoestring fries to distinguish them from the batonnet cut chips.

French fries are typically served hot, either soft or crispy, and they are generally eaten as part of lunch or dinner, or by themselves as a snack, and they commonly appear on the menus of fast food restaurants. French fries are generally salted and are often served with ketchup; in many countries they are topped instead with other condiments or toppings, including vinegar, mayonnaise, or other local specialties. Fries can also be topped more elaborately, as in the dishes of poutine and chili cheese fries. French fries can be made from sweet potatoes instead of potatoes. A baked variant of the french fry is also made, usually with less or even no oil.