when the chips are down
When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.
He wasn't a very talented musician but, when the chips were down, he played well.
ADJ.
enough, good, mixed, transparent
We bought mixed chips from the market and shared them with friends at the beach.
VERB + CHIPS
act, call, cashed, chipping, come, eat, fish, like
He cashed in his chips and left the poker game early that night.
CHIPS + NOUN
bowl, bungs, queen
We bought a large bowl of chips and guacamole for the party last night.
PREP.
down, from, in, in, until, with
He munched on chips while watching the football match on television.
ADV.
uniformly
The potato chips were uniformly golden and crispy when they came out of the deep fryer.