h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Anyone speak Francais?

I need to write a xmas card in French and don't trust my rusty linguistics.
I'll be very grateful for anyone who can put the following into French for me....

"To the best barmaid in England, Thank's for a great year, I hope santa brings you everything you desire and rightly deserve.
Wishing you a Merry xmas and a happy new year.
From Two pints of Stella and a diet coke (and don't forget the pork scratchings!) "

Cheers in advance.

Whisky is a professional French translator.

Whoa, gimme 5 minutes Gnomon, I've only just walked into the office... Just making myself a coffee and I'll be right back

Cool
Merci bien mon ami!

(I hope being a professional translator doesn;t mean he's going to charge me for it )

I'll be fascinated to know what the French for 'pork scratchings' is!

I seem to remember some French piece of advice that says, 'Ne donnez jamais de pourboire à la barmaid, car c'est une dame.' (Never give the 'barmaid' a tip, for she is a lady.)

Ok...

Coffee.... Check
Computer.. Check
Brain..... d**n - left it at home, never mind, here goes...

Pour la meilleure serveuse en Angleterre. Merci pour cette année fabuleuse, J'espère que le Père Noël vous apportera tous que vous désirez et méritez.

Je vous souhaite un joyeux Noël et bonne année!

Cordialement

Deux pintes de Stella et un Coca Light (n'oubliez pas les grattons!)



That should just about do it (I hope ) Although normally I translate in the other direction

Thanks so much!

No probs... That'll be 42 Euros please

Bels - Believe it or not - Pork scratchings exist over here anyway - Lyonnaise cooking consists of serving absolutely everything you can get off a pig including some things you wouldn't normally want to eat!

I've had spit roast (NO! - cooked, not... oh you dirty b'stards) suckling pig from the Mousel Brewery Canteen in Luxembourg. No eyeholes, earholes or ar5eholes though. Lovely stuff, talk about crackling

Liam.

Well I've heard of pork sausages containing pigs' eyelids, which to me is a strangely gruesome thought, for some reason. But AFAIK the Lyonnaise potatoes are with onion - yummy.

42 Euros! Do you charge by the letter or something? That's extortionate !
I would put a cheque in the post, but we are still using bally old pounds over here in Blighty. You'll have to wait until we inevitably dump our proud, historic and mighty sterling currency in favour of this new fangled euro thingy.

Simon the eurosceptic

I thought Dauphanois potatoes were with onion - Lyonnais are with tomato.

Liam.

What are dauphanois potatoes named after? I know dauphinois potatoes are named after the dauphin. Is it a corruption, and what's in them? (not in franglais I know sorry, will revert plus tard)

Ooops

Dauphinois: (of potatoes) sliced and baked in milk. typically with a topping of cheese. From the province of Dauphiné.

Liam.

Lyonnaise: (of sliced potatoes) cooked with onions or with a white wine and onion sauce. 'characteristic of the city of Lyons'.

What are the little fried cubes of potato called? I know in America they are called Italian potatoes.

Liam.

I call them tasty

We had the little cubes with herby bits on them at boarding school, back in my distant and shameful past, where they were known as Parmentiere potatoes(ford alone knows where the accent should go there)

does that help?

I thought Parmentier already meant a dish with potato, as in Hâchis Parmentier, which is a posh way of describing Shepherd's Pie.

wow - potato potatoes. Thats twice as much potato as a normal serving. No wonder we didn't get them that often

I think the little cubes are generally referred to as 'pommes de terre sautées'.

rather good with some lardons and onion in the mix.