Small fry?

TATERTOT

Think of a crispy, bite-sized potato snack often served with ketchup at school lunches.

"Small fry" plays on two meanings: it can refer to little kids (like "small fry" in a family) or tiny pieces of fried food. Here, the clue hints at the latter, leading to "tater tot," a bite-sized fried potato snack. The question mark signals wordplay, nudging you to think beyond the literal sense of "fry" as a child. It’s a classic crossword trick—using a phrase that sounds casual but has a sneaky second meaning.