A term for crushed red peppers. As far as I know, this term is only used in Baltimore, Maryland and surrounding areas. Curiously, if you just say "Give me some crushed peppers on that", most of the time, people will just give you an odd look. Then you realize your mistake, ask for "hots", and they say "Oh, hots. Sure, no problem!" or something to that effect. They are actually not that spicy at all (roughly as hot as Tobasco Sauce or Cholula), so the name is somewhat misleading.

Common things to put hots on include hamburgers and hoagies. Especially good is hots on hoagies made with fish or other seafood, such as you can get at Pete's Grille or the Sip 'n' Bite. You can also mix it with ketchup or tartar sauce and dip your fries or clams in it.