French fries (North American English, sometimes capitalized), chips (English), fries, or french-fried potatoes (formal) are thin strips of potato that have been deep-fried. They are popular in many countries and go by many names in various languages. A distinction is sometimes made between fries and chips. North Americans often refer to any elongated pieces of fried potatoes as fries, while in other parts of the world, long slices of potatoes are sometimes called fries to contrast them with the thickly cut strips, which are often referred to as chips. French fries are known as frites or pommes frites in many parts of Europe, and have names that mean "french potatoes" in others