Meaning
In informal British English, a chippy is a chip shop, especially a shop selling fish and chips and other hot fried takeaway food.
How it is used
Cambridge Dictionary records chippy as UK informal for chip shop. Collins independently defines the British informal noun as a fish-and-chip shop and describes a chippy as a shop selling hot takeaway foods such as fish and chips, sausages, pies, or fried chicken. The exact menu varies by business and region.
Examples
- “Shall we get something from the chippy?”
- “There's a chippy near the station.”
- “We picked up fish and chips from the local chippy.”
Pronunciation
/ˈtʃɪp.i/ · CHIP-ee
Tone and register
Informal, friendly, and ordinary in British conversation. Chippy is not a formal business category and does not imply that every shop has the same menu or style.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can understand the chippy or a local chippy as a chip shop, commonly associated with fish and chips. Context matters because chippy has other dictionary meanings, including an informal term for a carpenter and an adjective meaning easily offended or touchy. This entry covers the food-shop sense only. Opening hours, menus, allergens, prices, and food-safety information should be checked with the business or appropriate current source.
Cultural context
Chippy is useful British food vocabulary because it turns the generic chip shop into a familiar conversational noun. It commonly appears when people discuss takeaway plans, neighbourhood food, late meals, or local favourites. The term is used across Britain and is not uniquely London slang, even though visitors to London may encounter it naturally.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.