Crossword Genius

Critical news: french fries at reduced prices! (3,5,3,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

the chips are down

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'critical news french' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I cannot tell whether this works.

'fries at reduced prices' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'fries' could be 'chips' (I've seen this before) and 'chips' is found within the answer.
'reduced' could be 'down' and 'down' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.