“All that and a bag of chips” (intensifier of “all that”)
“All that and a bag of chips: Intensifier for ‘all that’” was printed in a slang article in The Sun (Baltimore, MD) on August 19, 1991. The term, as stated in the article, is an Americanism, with “chips” meaning “potato chips.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines “to be all that: to be great; to be particularly impressive or attractive.”
“All that and a plate of fries” (or “All that and a plate of chips in the United Kingdom) also means that someone/something is fully satisfactory, or something special. The saying has also applied to other foods besides french fries.
“‘Non-fiction’ is all that and a plate of rice” was posted on the newsgroup alt.rap on January 6, 1995. “Cause we’re all that, and a plate of green beans” was posted on the newsgroup alt.rave on February 8, 1995.
“Is it really all that and a plate of fries and gravy?” was posted on the newsgroup alt.tv.homicide on December 28, 1997. “Since I consider M.R. James to be a bit overrated—excellent, but not all that and a plate of chips—I’m willing to be believe you” was posted on the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.written on June 11, 2007.
Wiktionary: all that
Adjective
all that (not comparable)
1. (US, slang) Of especially good quality; particularly excellent. [from 20th c.]
Wiktionary: all that and a bag of chips
Noun
all that and a bag of chips (uncountable)
1. (slang) Something very special.
She’s all that and a bag of chips!
(Oxford English Dictionary)
U.S. slang (orig. in African-American usage). to be all that: to be great; to be particularly impressive or attractive. Also in to be all that and a bag of chips.
Often in negative contexts.
1989 Jet 3 July 22/2 There’s..all kinds of great singers that deserve a lot more credit than they’re getting right now. I don’t think I’m all that.
1991 H. Nelson & M. A. Gonzales Bring the Noise 211 Overall, Raising Hell ain’t all that.
1994 A. Heckerling Clueless (film script) (Green Rev. Pages) 71 Dionne. He thinks he’s all that. Cher. Yeah, God’s gift.
1994 People (Electronic ed.) 12 Dec. 115 ‘She’s all that and a bag of chips.’ Meaning, he thinks she’s cool.
Newspapers.com
Newspapers.com (continuation of article)
19 August 1991, The Sun (Baltimore, MD), “Oi! This rap is way rad” by J. D. Considine, pg. 1C, col. 4, and continued on pg. 3C, col. 6:
“When the words are new, you’re so much more conscious of using them,” he (Fab 5 Freddy—ed.) said. “It’s like this big effort to show that you know the current words. Like people have been saying “all that,’ meaning something is really cool. But now they’re saying, “all that and a bag of chips.’ So the people are putting their own twist on that.”
(...)
All that and a bag of chips: Intensifier for “all that.”
Google Groups: alt.rap
Notes on the Run…Non Fiction
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
1/6/95
Word.
“Non-fiction” is all that and a plate of rice.
Google Groups: alt.rave
Thump Inc.
THUMP INC
2/8/95
(...)
Cause we’re all that, and a plate of green beans.
Google Groups: alt.tv.homicide
Where is the Mason-Dixon Line?
Caryl-Sue
12/28/97
(...)
Has anyone read Mason and Dixon? Is it really all that and a plate of fries and gravy?
Google Groups: alt.music.prince
Greazy.
J Alan
8/20/98
(...)
This is not intended as a flame on Gravy… I hope it’s all that and a plate of potatoes & Gravy!
IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Quotes
Dr. Evil: Talk to the hand, ‘cause the face don’t wanna hear it anymore.
The President: What hand? Talk to your hand?
Dr. Evil: You ain’t all that and a bag of potato chips. (A GIF of this line is here.—ed.)
The President: What are you talking about?
Dr. Evil: Don’t go there, girlfriend.
[snaps fingers]
Dr. Evil: Mmhmm.
The President: Whose girlfriend?
Dr. Evil: Don’t mess with me. I’m one crazy mo-fo. I had to pop a cop cause he wasn’t giving me my props in Oaktown. No? I’ve heard that somewhere.
Google Groups: alt.fan.mark-brian
TOT: Geek Heaven
The Original Nymphomania
3/31/00
ok….speaking of OLD computers, does anyone remember the Atari 1040 st? I had one of those when they first came out. We thought we were all that, and a plate of biscuits.
Urban Dictionary
all that and a bag of chips
To mean that a person is all that and more. Usually it is an opinion and the only one who thinks it is that person. Other people usually don’t believe the person is “all that and a bag of chips.” The word chips can be replaced by almost any other word. Such as “all that and a bag of cookies.” Or “all that and a bag of candy.” Just to name a couple.
“That bitch thinks she is all that and a bag of chips.”
by IceWarm June 21, 2004
21 October 2006, Sacramento (CA) Bee, “Dressed to the canines: Pet owners liven up Halloween with their best friends help” by Melissa Dahl, pg. K1:
Leslie Wolfson Scruffy’s all that and a plate of pasta.
Google Groups: rec.arts.sf.written
How many of these authors have you never read/heard of?
Lawrence Watt-Evans
6/11/07
(...)
Since I consider M.R. James to be a bit overrated—excellent, but not all that and a plate of chips—I’m willing to be believe you.
IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)
All That and a Bag of Chips (2009)
7min | Short, Comedy | 2009 (Australia)
Taneeka Green writes a great short story and is encouraged by her teacher to turn it into a movie. She gets together and dedicated band of friends and together they make a fantastic film. She enters it into GnarlyFest and it’s instantly snapped up as a finalist. But what happens when she gets put under the spotlight? Based on a true story. Trop Jr shortlisted movie.
—Japonica Mauala
Twitter
Br&y 🇵🇦
@ObeyBrandy
When people say “oh you think are just all that and a bag of chips” Im like no honey I think im all that and a plate of BACON!!!
10:06 AM - 14 Feb 2013
Twitter
John
@xX144Xx
@TeejLandry @katylandry It was all that and a plate of fries. And a coconut.
10:40 PM - 28 Apr 2013
Twitter
Sarah Polite
@SarahPolite
Super proud moment on #SuperFunNight: @RebelWilson owning it hot pink bra and all. Girl, you are all that and a plate of french fries
10:03 PM - 13 Nov 2013
Google Books
Lost in Paris
By Cindy Callaghan
New York, NY: Aladdin M!X
2015
Pg. 170:
Basically, Aunt Maria is all that and a plate of rigatoni, if you know what I mean.
Twitter
Love Keylah
@LoveKeylah
Soooo he’s all that and a plate of chips 😍😔
11:22 AM - 19 Jun 2018
Elite Daily
19 Instagram Captions For French Fries, In Honor Of National French Fry Day
BY LAUREN DANA
July 12, 2018
(...)
3. “All that and a plate of fries.” — Unknown
Twitter
3rdsonDRH
@3rdsunDRH
Replying to @thebonnierotten
You know Your all that and a plate of pancakes?. #Justsaying
3:29 AM - 31 Jul 2018
Tribune (Snohomish, WA)
By ANGELA COOPER-McCORKLE
Published August 29, 2018
Mesmerizing circus ship show docks at Port of Everett on Labor Day weekend
EVERETT — Part theater, part tall ship, part communal living quarters for 20 performers, the Amara Zee is all that and a plate of fish and chips, and she’ll be docking in Everett for shows this weekend.