tomorrow's chip paper

noun

Unimportant or ephemeral news; a story that will soon be forgotten.

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Meanings

nountomorrow's chip paper (uncountable)
  1. UKcolloquialuncountableUnimportant or ephemeral news; a story that will soon be forgotten.

    'People will be more interested in that than in anything Denny Hinckley writes. His articles will be tomorrow's chip paper.'

    2021 February 4, Hania Allen, The Ice Hotel: a gripping Scandi-noir thriller, Hachette UK, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    There was no Internet in the 1800s and any poor reviews would end up, quite literally, as tomorrow's chip paper, while the more favourable ones would immediately become part of the official press release.

    2016 April 22, Amanda van Eck Duymaer van Twist, Minority Religions and Fraud: In Good Faith, Routledge, →ISBN, page 193

    After a pause that may have accommodated a small sigh, Tom replies. 'Sorry, but it's useful for people.' Then his voice becomes exaggeratedly friendly. 'Don't worry, tomorrow's chip paper and all that.'

    2021 April 30, Jenny Cutts, The Invisible Body, Stopped Clock Press, →ISBN

Origin

From the use of old newspaper to wrap fish and chips.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tomorrow's chip paper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tomorrow's%20chip%20paper

MLA

“tomorrow's chip paper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tomorrow's%20chip%20paper. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tomorrow's chip paper,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tomorrow's%20chip%20paper.

Source: tomorrow's chip paper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.