# Silly poll: thematic difference between "crisp" and "crispy". Any? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 21, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332 "2011-10-21T04:12:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/1 "2011-10-21T04:12:17Z")
Inspired by my toddler asking me for a cracker tonight: I couldn’t decide which was the more appropriate adjective to teach him under the circumstance. So, are they utterly synonymous, or is there a shade of difference in their meanings? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/2 "2011-10-21T04:18:46Z")
I would describe fresh celery as crisp, but not crispy. I would describe fried chicken as crispy, but not crisp. But I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/3 "2011-10-21T04:18:51Z")
Crispy is crispier than crisp. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/4 "2011-10-21T04:19:55Z")
And if something is less crispy than crisp, is it crispish? ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/5 "2011-10-21T04:20:26Z")
The difference may also involve moisture. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/6 "2011-10-21T04:22:24Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > And if something is less crispy than crisp, is it crispish? No, it’s soggy. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/7 "2011-10-21T04:27:09Z")
“Crispy” is, I think, usually used to refer to things that have been fried. Lettuce is crisp; potato chips are crispy. Unless you’re in England, in which case potato chips are potato crisps. But we’re not talking about those weirdos. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/8 "2011-10-21T04:29:41Z")
So would the aforementioned (baked) cracker be crisp or crispy? What about something like a water cracker, which is crisp(i)er than the already crisp(y) other cracker? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/9 "2011-10-21T04:34:04Z")
Delivery of a joke can be crisp. But it cannot be crispy. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/10 "2011-10-21T04:35:59Z")
I don’t normally think of baked crackers as being crisp or crispy. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/11 "2011-10-21T04:36:18Z")
I really wanted to pick “I like bananas,” but I didn’t. TriPolar is right. Also, a fall day can be crisp, but can it be crispy (er)? (Have you ever said a word so much that it no longer sounds like a real word? _have decided to just chase my tail for awhile and lay down_ Oops! I know, Twicksy, that should be “lie.” lol) ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/12 "2011-10-21T04:36:52Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > I don’t normally think of baked crackers as being crisp or crispy. So what are they? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/13 "2011-10-21T09:57:27Z")
A thing can be burnt to a crisp; and being sunburned referred to as being “burnt and crispy” - and that’s not the only example I can think of where ‘crisp’ and ‘crispy’ are synonymous. I have a friend whose surname is Crisp, and she’s been Crispy all her life. ETA this does not reflect my vote, and 'though I do like bananas I voted the other one. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/14 "2011-10-21T10:16:37Z")
Crisp tends to be cold or cool, crispy warm to hot? When used as adjectives. Usually. I like bananas. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/15 "2011-10-21T10:45:15Z")
“Crisp” often has to do with natural things and their freshness. Crisp lettuce is fresher than non-crisp lettuce. “Crispy” often has to do with the result of a process, like potato chips or fried chicken. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/16 "2011-10-21T10:56:15Z")
Crispy would crumble when you break it (cracker, crust of fried chicken). Crisp would snap cleanly when you break it (celery, iceberg lettuce wedge). Definitely can be interchangeable, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/17 "2011-10-21T11:59:19Z")
Partly overlapping. But it’s difficult to nail down exactly why. I might describe a November morning, or a green apple as crisp, but never crispy. I think there are probably more cases where something crispy can also be called crisp than crisp things that can also be called crispy. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/18 "2011-10-21T16:58:53Z")
I would just like to point out that John Lennon made use of the subtle difference between these two words on the first Beatles Christmas Record, when he sang the following: _Good King Wenceslas looked out On the feast of Stephen When the slow ray round around Deep and crisp and crispy_ ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/19 "2011-10-21T20:20:46Z")
To me “crispy” means oil or another kind of fat, basically. Roast potatoes are crispy. Autumn mornings are crisp. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332/20 "2011-10-21T21:08:47Z")
Agree with the “crisp can refer to weather, or a reply, as well as food. However, crispy is exclusively for food” sentiment. I wonder how colored our opinions are by the fact that when Kentucky Fried Chicken came up with an option to the Colonel’s original recipe, the company opted to call the new dish “Extra Crispy” as opposed to “Extra Crisp”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-poll-thematic-difference-between-crisp-and-crispy-any/600332.md?page=2)