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sert et dessert

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

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:sert et dessert
English translation:with now-you-see, now-you-don't images (by optical marquetry illusion)
Entered by: MatthewLaSon

15:27 Nov 27, 2012
French to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
French term or phrase: sert et dessert
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...!
Jenny Cowd
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:19
provides " come-and-go" images (illusions: given and then taken away)
Explanation:
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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days2 hrs (2012-11-29 17:28:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:09:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:09:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://douglasrosin.com/itemdetails.php?id=403542

--------------------------------------------------
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.
Selected response from:

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 23:19
Grading 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.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +3provides " come-and-go" images (illusions: given and then taken away)
MatthewLaSon
3 +1serves and clears (away)
dhafer
4boasts
Kate Collyer
3serves up and does/gives service to
Victoria Britten
3serves (up) and displays
B D Finch
3offers an elusive interplay
Tony M
2plays the game of
Sylvie LE BRAS
3 -1offers you a slideshow of
SafeTex
3 -2to serve and des(s)ert
freekfluweel
Summary of reference entries provided
art optique
Kate Collyer

Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
serves and clears (away)


Explanation:
Just a suggestion...

dhafer
Tunisia
Local time: 04:19
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
plays the game of


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

also: shows a top with...



Sylvie LE BRAS
France
Local time: 05:19
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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.
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -2
to serve and des(s)ert


Explanation:
to serve and proceed


freekfluweel
Netherlands
Local time: 05:19
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
serves up and does/gives service to


Explanation:
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.

Victoria Britten
France
Local time: 05:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
serves (up) and displays


Explanation:
As this appears to be a table, those are two things it can be used for and that can relate to the marquetry surface.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 05:19
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 28
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
offers you a slideshow of


Explanation:
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

SafeTex
France
Local time: 05:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
offers an elusive interplay


Explanation:
...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.

Tony M
France
Local time: 05:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
boasts


Explanation:
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(s):
  • Sticking with the cube theme, the best-selling XX table boasts a marquetry inlay top in the Bauhaus style of optical illusion
Kate Collyer
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:19
Native speaker of: English
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
provides " come-and-go" images (illusions: given and then taken away)


Explanation:
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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days2 hrs (2012-11-29 17:28:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:09:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days10 hrs (2012-12-01 02:09:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://douglasrosin.com/itemdetails.php?id=403542

--------------------------------------------------
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.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 23:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 30
Grading 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.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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.
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Reference comments


7 hrs
Reference: art optique

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


    Reference: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op_Art
Kate Collyer
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: English
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