The difference between chips in the United Kingdom compared to the United States relates to how dried potato slices were used for gambling at the turn of the 19th century. The former cut their potatoes lengthwise while the latter sliced them across. There are many theories that attempt to explain why they cut their tubers differently, but the general consensus is that in the United States, it was expected that you eat your earnings. The thinner cross-cut slices were easier to hide and avoid eating.
