mashed potatoes

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mashed potatoes

1. plural of mashed potato

mashed potatoes (construed as uncountable or plural)

1. (uncountable or in the plural) A dish consisting of potatoes that have been boiled, mashed to a pulpy consistency, and mixed with such ingredients as butter or milk.

   Synonyms: (chiefly UK) mash, mashed potato, mash potato

   Mashed potatoes is (or are) my favorite starch dish.

2. (skiing) Partially melted snow with a pulpy texture, making for slow skiing.
   • 19841 November, Richard C. Sailiant, “Ask Skiing [letter]”, in Skiing, page 38:

     During late-season skiing, I have encountered ice in the morning and mashed potatoes in the afternoon.

   • 1996 Spring-Summer, Morten Lund, “Skiing Down Those Golden Years with John Jay”, in Skiing Heritage Journal, page 7:

     The Eastern ski tribe could confidently expect much ice underfoot while the Western contingent could expect much mashed potatoes around the ankles.

   • 2001 October 1, Paul Parker, Free-Heel Skiing: Telemark and Parallel Techniques for All Conditions, 3rd edition, Seattle: The Mountaineers Books, →ISBN, →OL, page 185:

     I climbed back through the bottomless mashed potatoes as quickly as I could, relieved to see that his ski was off, with his foot pointing in a normal direction— not the skis’.

3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see mash,‎ potato.

• instant mashed potatoes
• smashed potatoes

• mashed-potatoey

• duchess potatoes
• fufu
• whipped potatoes