nachos
B1informal, everyday
Definition
Meaning
A dish consisting of tortilla chips topped with melted cheese and often other savory ingredients like jalapeños, beans, or meat.
Can refer informally to any snack food or appetizer served in a casual, shareable context, or metaphorically to a messy, improvised combination of things.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a plural noun, treated as a singular collective in terms of the dish (e.g., 'This nachos is delicious'). The singular 'nacho' is rarely used except to refer to a single chip with toppings.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The dish is more commonly associated with American and Mexican cuisine but is widely understood and consumed in the UK. The term itself is used identically.
Connotations
In the US, strongly associated with sports bars, casual dining, and Tex-Mex cuisine. In the UK, often viewed as an American import or pub food.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English, but common in UK English in food contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Someone] ordered [nachos].[Something] comes with [nachos].[We] shared [a plate of nachos].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[not] my cup of tea”
- “a recipe for disaster (when referring to a messy combination of things)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in hospitality/food service contexts (e.g., 'Bar snack sales, including nachos, were up 15%').
Academic
Very rare, except in cultural or culinary studies.
Everyday
Very common in social and dining contexts.
Technical
Not applicable.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We're going to nacho our way through the game.
- He expertly nacho'd the platter, ensuring every chip had cheese.
American English
- Let's nacho this movie night.
- She nachoed the chips with reckless abandon.
adverb
British English
- They ate nacho-ly, with great enthusiasm.
American English
- He piled on the toppings nacho-style.
adjective
British English
- We're in a nacho mood tonight.
- It was a properly nacho-filled evening.
American English
- He has a serious nacho craving.
- The party had a great nacho bar.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like nachos.
- We eat nachos at the party.
- Shall we share a plate of nachos to start?
- The nachos here come with cheese, salsa, and guacamole.
- Despite being a simple dish, perfecting the cheese-to-chip ratio on nachos is an art.
- The loaded nachos, piled high with pulled pork and sour cream, were incredibly messy to eat.
- The political debate quickly devolved into a rhetorical pile of nachos—a messy, unappetizing combination of half-baked ideas and emotional outbursts.
- His proposal was less a coherent strategy and more a nacho platter of disparate initiatives.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'NACHO' problem sharing these cheesy chips! (Sounds like 'not your', as in 'not your problem').
Conceptual Metaphor
A MESS IS NACHOS (e.g., 'His desk is a pile of nachos' implying a messy, haphazard combination).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation or association with Russian 'начос' (a borrowing). The dish is specific and not equivalent to generic 'чипсы' (chips/crisps).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'nacho' as a singular countable noun for the dish (e.g., 'I'd like a nacho' is incorrect for the dish; correct: 'I'd like some nachos').
- Treating it as an uncountable noun only (it is usually plural).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'nachos' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is grammatically plural but often refers to a singular dish or portion. Verbs can be plural ('The nachos are ready') or singular when referring to the dish as a whole ('This nachos is amazing').
'Nacho chips' typically refers to the plain tortilla chips used to make the dish. 'Nachos' refers to the prepared dish with toppings.
Yes, informally (e.g., 'nacho cheese', 'nacho platter', 'nacho night').
Treating 'nacho' as a singular countable noun for the dish (e.g., 'I ordered a nacho'). The correct form for the dish is always 'nachos'.