JEANNE: He was hot. I mean, the chocolate bars and everything.
ELISABETH: Chocolate bars?
JEANNE: You know, he had beautiful abs.
ELISABETH: Oh, right. We call that a six pack.
JEANNE: Huh, you name the abs after beer?
ELISABETH: YOU NAME THEM AFTER CHOCOLATE!
Hi Coquette,
LOL... I didn't know they were called chocolate tablets in France...
=( I miss the fooood in France... and the choclate too. Miam Miam .. OK hope all is well in sunny Paris!!
Bizoulou..
Rica =)
Posted by: Rica | 03 July 2006 at 03:34 PM
The French are apparently more chic at everything...even the use of language. Love it!
Posted by: Serena | 03 July 2006 at 04:04 PM
I'd say "chocolate bars" is a better translation.
Posted by: Stu "El Inglés" Harris | 03 July 2006 at 05:04 PM
this is why i love your site -- you teach me such useful things! i can see it now...a few years down the road i'll be people watching in Paris in the summer and I can bust out with the "check out his chocolate tablets!" and everyone will think I'm a local...despite speaking english :)
Posted by: vespa rosso | 03 July 2006 at 06:28 PM
You're right Stu, "tablet" was a lazy translation. I guess I thought it wasn't bar because that's barée...The dictionary says "tablette" means block, but who says "block of chocolate"? I think you're right.
Posted by: Coquette | 03 July 2006 at 06:44 PM
You are TOO funny! Glad you're still in Paris and having so much fun. We're coming again next week. Will try to make contact :-)
Posted by: Joyce | 03 July 2006 at 11:51 PM
chocolate is good, beer is not :b
Posted by: kafeine - Pink Bubble | 04 July 2006 at 01:29 AM
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, COQUETTE! USA! USA!
Posted by: J | 04 July 2006 at 03:30 AM
One of my favorite Spanish idioms translates as "blue prince" in English. Whereas we would say (well, not in these modern times, I guess, but bare with me), "She's looking for her white knight," Spanish-speaking folks say that "She's looking for a blue prince."
When I think of blue in describing someone, I think of melancholy. Why I would want to look for a melancholy man is beyond me.
Posted by: Sara | 04 July 2006 at 03:49 AM
Leave it to the French to think of something so much more classy than a "six pack"...
Posted by: Sara | 04 July 2006 at 08:14 AM
Omg chocolate bars! Haha. At least it sounds nicer than six packs. And much more yummy too.
Posted by: Gena | 04 July 2006 at 07:28 PM
"les abdos kro"(like Kronenbourg beer)= beer belly
Posted by: anne k | 04 July 2006 at 09:19 PM
I found this to be hilarious...Thanks for the laugh!
Posted by: Alexandra | 05 July 2006 at 03:20 AM
Sara, Blue Prince, that's so poetic.
Anne, Les Abdos Kro, is that for real? I love it.
Posted by: Coquette | 05 July 2006 at 05:04 PM
This made my day. OMG you have no idea how bad I needed this laugh. Fan-frickin-tastic!!
Posted by: katie | 05 July 2006 at 06:55 PM
This made my day. OMG you have no idea how bad I needed this laugh. Fan-frickin-tastic!!
Posted by: katie | 05 July 2006 at 06:56 PM
(obviously bad enough that I posted twice!)
Coquette: Love your site. Love, Love, Love it. Recent discoverer thanks to Fussy. I'm forever in her debt :)
Posted by: katie | 05 July 2006 at 06:58 PM
yes "abdos kro" is for real, miss coquette. ;- )
Posted by: anne k | 07 July 2006 at 02:47 PM
Your post is just too funny! As you know, we French are in love with food... and French girls with chocolate! How about translating "mon petit chou" [my little cabbage] or "ma petite puce" [my little flea]? Very cute in French, rather embarrassing in English. I'm sure a lot of us "cross-culture" types have a few lost in translation stories to tell...
Posted by: LA Frog | 07 July 2006 at 05:22 PM
Your post is just too funny! As you know, we French are in love with food... and French girls with chocolate! How about translating "mon petit chou" [my little cabbage] or "ma petite puce" [my little flea]? Very cute in French, rather embarrassing in English. I'm sure a lot of us "cross-culture" types have a few lost in translation stories to tell...
Posted by: LA Frog | 07 July 2006 at 05:23 PM
How the French Stay Thin: Associate exercise with chocolate bars.
Posted by: Neil | 08 July 2006 at 05:42 AM
Hey Coquette, love your blog!
I also love French idioms, particularly 's'occuper tes oignons'!
Posted by: embrouillamini | 08 July 2006 at 11:35 AM
J: "Blue Prince" in Spanish "Principe Azul "refers to the prince being blue-blooded not melancholy, though the image of the white knight is rather melancholic in itself.
Posted by: Moi | 08 July 2006 at 04:54 PM
LOL!little misunderstandings like these are just too cute.
Posted by: Peppermint | 08 July 2006 at 05:53 PM
Oooooh, yummy. My beau's abs are definitely chocolate, for sure!
Perfect description... :0)
Posted by: Noire Dire | 08 July 2006 at 11:14 PM
Thanks for that explanation, Moi. I never knew that. I like that thought better than the thought that the prince is melancholic.
Posted by: Sara | 09 July 2006 at 01:52 AM
This was funny! I, however, have a case of beer for abs. :-(
Posted by: Eric at Paris Daily Photo | 09 July 2006 at 08:03 AM
COQUETTE - there are no blog entries about France at the World Cup?
I CRIED!!!!!! Oh, it's been such a sad sad sad day here, because France DESERVED to win and then the stupid damn penalty kicks!
What is France like at the moment? And is anyone ripping into Zizou (I hope not!) because Chirac *immediately* issued a statement praising Zinedine.
Thoughts? Thoughts? I hope no one forgets his brilliance and only focuses on this one unfortunate stupid move.
xo
m
Posted by: maha | 10 July 2006 at 04:45 AM
I'd been meaning to post about les tablettes de chocolat and now I can't procrastinate anymore...the French bars do really look like Abs BTW. THANKS too funny :)
Posted by: [email protected] | 10 July 2006 at 02:57 PM
Yum, either way.
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