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vitrines aux gourmandises
au rang 1

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

sert et dessert

English translation:

with now-you-see, now-you-don't images (by optical marquetry illusion)

Added to glossary by MatthewLaSon
Nov 27, 2012 15:27
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

sert et dessert

French to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Pliée au jeu de cubes, la table XX, pièce best-seller, sert et dessert sur plateau une marqueterie optique Bauhaus aux essences nobles et précieuses

Thanks in advance for the help. This isn't my main language combination and I'm having a totally nightmare with this text, which is a mixture of catchy plays on words and descriptions of items that I've got no pictures of...!
Proposed translations (English)
2 +3 provides " come-and-go" images (illusions: given and then taken away)
3 +1 serves and clears (away)
4 boasts
3 serves up and does/gives service to
3 serves (up) and displays
3 offers an elusive interplay
2 plays the game of
3 -1 offers you a slideshow of
3 -2 to serve and des(s)ert
References
art optique
Change log

Dec 1, 2012 16:21: MatthewLaSon Created KOG entry

Dec 1, 2012 16:26: MatthewLaSon changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/35643">MatthewLaSon's</a> old entry - "sert et dessert"" to ""provides now-you-see, now-you-don't images (come-and-go)""

Dec 1, 2012 16:32: MatthewLaSon changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/35643">MatthewLaSon's</a> old entry - "sert et dessert"" to ""is a table of now-you-see, now-you-don't images""

Dec 1, 2012 16:34: MatthewLaSon changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/35643">MatthewLaSon's</a> old entry - "sert et dessert"" to ""now-you-see, now-you-don't images (with optical marquetry illusion)""

Discussion

SafeTex Nov 29, 2012:
In defense of 'slideshow' Just to point out that 'slideshow' was suggested late in the day and the most popular choice is 'come and go images' if you can see what I'm getting at.
philgoddard Nov 27, 2012:
I don't think a literal translation works - I'd get away from the idea of serving and write something else.

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

provides " come-and-go" images (illusions: given and then taken away)

Hello,

They may be talking about an optical marquetry illusion. Depending on how you look at it from certain aspects, images and shapes "come and go". I could be wrong, though, but that's my try for the day at least

By the way, I doubt you'll be able to do the play on words like the original French does.


sert = to give

dessert - to take away

On vous sert et dessert rapidement au restaurant = They serve you and have your table cleared up fast; in other words, you're in and out of there in no time.


I hope this helps.

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Note added at 2 days2 hrs (2012-11-29 17:28:06 GMT)
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I'm not sure how much this is a play on words, considering that "sert et dessert" is common. It just so happens that the words sound very much alike.

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Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:09:25 GMT)
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Or perhaps "provides 'now-you-see, now-you-don't' optical marquetry on top of the table"

http://creative-furniture.com/storage/geometry-cabinet-vorte...

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Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:09:44 GMT)
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http://douglasrosin.com/itemdetails.php?id=403542

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Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:12:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

now-you-see-it-now-you-don't impression

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:19:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The idea is that you're "served", and then "unserved" with images.
Peer comment(s):
agree Verginia Ophof
50 mins
Thank you, Verginia! I appreciate it.
agree GILLES MEUNIER
1 hr
Merci Gilou! Une très bonne soirée à vous.
agree Kate Collyer : to the meaning, less keen on the way it's expressed
5 hrs
Thank you, Kate! I appreciate it. "Come-and-go" images is the only way I know how to express it. It's not uncommon to see "sert et dessert" paired together without any intention of a play on a words (just happen to be similar). Here, it may be the same.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks for all the answers everyone. In the end I totally rewrote the sentence, but this was the closest answer to what I wrote."
+1
15 mins

serves and clears (away)

Just a suggestion...
Peer comment(s):
agree writeaway : I think this is the right direction. http://66.46.185.79/bdl/gabarit_bdl.asp?Th=2&t1=&id=4262
1 hr
Something went wrong...
31 mins

plays the game of

plays the game of a top with optical marquetry...

also: shows a top with...

Peer comment(s):
neutral Kate Collyer : This isn't very natural in English, although "play with" might be a useful avenue to explore
6 hrs
Thanks, Kate ! I tried to give a direction as I don't think a litteral translation in English works here for this tricky French text.
Something went wrong...
-2
37 mins

to serve and des(s)ert

to serve and proceed
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : meaning what in the context???
1 hr
disagree Tony M : Even if 'desert' is a verb in EN, 'dessert' isn't, so this expression is grammatically flawed as well as having no real meaning in EN.
6 hrs
disagree Barbara Veness : not English
19 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 hr

serves up and does/gives service to

It's a bit lumpy, but I think this is the general idea. "Desservir" manages to cover both disservice and the notion of service, and I think it's that second meaning which is being meant here.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

serves (up) and displays

As this appears to be a table, those are two things it can be used for and that can relate to the marquetry surface.
Something went wrong...
-1
6 hrs

offers you a slideshow of

Not always possible to stick with the French and the image. If you put the text out of your head for a minute and ask yourself what an English speaker would say, this phrase comes up, at least in my mind.
The idea of come and go is still there
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : The idea rings false to me, and 'slide show' is way off being an appropriate marketing term here; possibly 'kaleidoscope' might work....
26 mins
Hi Tony. I'm surprised cos the most popular term so far is 'come and go' images. Do people really prefer that to slideshow? (which was suggested later and therefore is at a disadvantage
neutral MatthewLaSon : "Slideshow" doesn't give the image of sporadicity that is in the French. In other words, your translation gives more the impression that the viewer will see things in a set, organized sort of way, which is not at all the case here. Good thinking, though!
1 day 18 hrs
Something went wrong...
7 hrs

offers an elusive interplay

...etc.

While getting rather away from the pun in the source text (which IMHO is irreproducible as such in EN), I think this captures the spirit, with 'offers' giving a nod to the idea of 'serves up' — and in suitably 'marketing' oriented terms.
Something went wrong...
7 hrs

boasts

I agree with phil, this needs completely reworking, as the pun is untranslatable.

When you break it down, I think the meaning here is simply 'has' or 'possesses', but 'boasts' is that little bit more promotional :)
Example sentence:

Sticking with the cube theme, the best-selling XX table boasts a marquetry inlay top in the Bauhaus style of optical illusion

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Reference comments

7 hrs
Reference:

art optique

I think this backs up Matthew's interpretation.
Reference:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op_Art

Something went wrong...
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