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Glite Dictionary
chips with everything

chips with everything

7.6
A common British habit of serving chips with most meals
  • idiom
  • UK
translation icon : patatas fritas con todo
  • When traveling in the UK, you might find chips with everything at many pubs and cafes.

Examples

  • Some tourists are amused by the tradition of serving chips with everything in British restaurants.

  • At the seaside, the menu offered chips with everything, from fish to curry.

  • I love having chips with everything!

  • Why do they serve chips with everything in Britain?

  • In many British pubs, you can enjoy chips with everything, including burgers and steaks.

  • The unique British dining style often includes chips with everything from grilled fish to veggie dishes.

  • During my visit to London, I was surprised to see chips with everything on almost every menu.

Surface Forms

chips with everything main

Morphology

chips + with + everything

The meaning is directly compositional: 'chips' accompanied 'with' 'everything' signals that chips are served alongside most or many meals. This is a straightforward accompaniment construction using very common words and a familiar exaggerative sense, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Chips with everything comes from a common British sight: many meals arrive with a pile of chips on the side, so they seem to be added to everything, from fish to curry. That's why the phrase means 'serving chips with almost any meal', even when they do not really fit.