Chips of any form are known by different terms around the world.

In the UK, what we know to be chips (think a packet of chips) are called 'crisps'. Hot chips (think chunky deep-fried chips from a fish and chip shop) are called 'chips', while thin-cut chips are called 'fries.'

In the US, thick-cut hot chips are called 'fries', thin-cut hot chips are called 'French fries', and chips are called 'chips'.

Down Under, Aussies refer to hot chips, French fries and crisps as chips. So, one traveller asked Aussies to clarify how we know the difference.

Taking to the 'Ask An Australian' Reddit thread, a tourist asked: "French fries are chips, then what do Aussies call potato chips?"

"If all are chips, don't people often get confused [about] whether they want fries or potato chips?"

Locals tried their best to explain what we call the various types of chips, but I'm not sure any of the answers really demystified the terminology.

"We call fries chips, chips we call chips, and crisp we call chips, we also call chips, chips too though," one person wrote. "Sometimes, on special occasions, we will call chips' chippys' but other times just chips."

"They're chips and chips. We don't get confused because you don't usually get both options depending on where you go," another person wrote, adding, "Chicken/fish and chips shops don't usually sell chips in a bag, and supermarkets don't usually have hot chips, calling them hot chips is about as far as we go, but I only called them that so you wouldn't get confused."

"They're all chips, and everyone knows what we mean when we ask for chips."

If, by this point, the word 'chips' means nothing to you anymore, you are not alone. It doesn't look like a word to me now.