Lisa McCarthy (asker) Jun 28, 2012:

@ Charles Thanks a lot for the info and research!!

Charles Davis Jun 28, 2012:

@Lisa There are really two candidates: burro and brisca. I have just rung my parents-in-law, who are from a Castilian village and are demon card players, and they tell me that the main card games people play in Spanish villages, in alphabetical order, are Brisca, Burro, Chinchón, Cinquillo, Mus, Rabino, Siete y media, Treinta y una, Truque and Tute.

Brisca is a version of the Italian briscola, a bit like a form of whist, played with partners. "Jugadas de ases" could apply to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briscola

Burro is very popular but is more a game of chance; you don't play tricks. It's very simple; you try to get four cards of the same number.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burro_(juego)

So I'd say brisca is the more suitable here.

Lisa McCarthy (asker) Jun 28, 2012:

Ah! I see that Charles mentioned 'Brisca' in my other question re 'jugadas de ases'. That might work.

Lisa McCarthy (asker) Jun 28, 2012:

Hi all I'm now looking at "Buns, bottles, and ..."

Anybody know any card games that might be played in Spain that begin with 'B'??

Charles Davis Jun 27, 2012:

Carajillo is probably more their style, but English readers won't understand it.

A lot of them probably would drink cheap coñac (for breakfast in some cases), but "cognac" in English sounds a bit too up-market.

Lisa McCarthy (asker) Jun 27, 2012:

Hi Gilla Cava is a nice thought but I'd say the village folk (the men especially) will be drinking something a bit rougher :) Later on in the script it mentions drinking aguardiente (like brandy) at a wake.

Evans (X) Jun 27, 2012:

Cava? or is that too celebratory?

Charles Davis Jun 27, 2012:

I thought the cards thing might be important, from my experience of Spanish villages (dominoes too, by the way, much more than dice). That being so, an alcoholic C to go with cakes and cards might be the best bet. It wants to be a hard C, really, so not cider. Good luck with it!

Lisa McCarthy (asker) Jun 27, 2012:

Hi Charles This one is tricky on a few counts - register, location, and trying to maintain the alliteration. The client is keen to maintain the 'cards' association, in keeping with my other question re 'jugadas de cartas'. Obviously seems to be one of the main pastimes in this little village. I'm still thinking :)

Charles Davis Jun 27, 2012:

@Hi Lisa Well, there's "dance, drink and dice", from the Wikipedia page on Miguel de la Torre, as quoted by Meirs. If alliteration is needed, that's not bad, I reckon. I don't know who thought of it.

On Bs: one of the most popular rural card games in Spain is brisca, but I'm not sure it will come across in English. Other possible Bs (leaving aside incongruous Las Vegas-style options like "baccarat", "bezique" or "blackjack") might be simply "betting", or better "bingo" (the latter is very Spanish nowadays, but it would depend on whether you need to keep the specific allusion to cards). If not, I reckon "buns, beer and bingo" is not bad.

There's also "bridge", but again a bit up-market socially, or "brag", which is better but might not come across. "Black Maria", "beggar my neighbour"? Not quite.

I did think of "wine, women and whist" at the beginning, but it sounds a bit silly. People do play what is effectively whist in Spain, but it suggests middle-class whist drives to me.

For an alcoholic C, "claret" is too up-market. Maybe "cognac"/coñac" would be the best bet. "Cakes, cognac and cards"? Not sure...

Lisa McCarthy (asker) Jun 26, 2012:

Hi all I have spoken to the client about this and he wants to keep either the three 'bs' or else three of another letter if at all possible. Maybe buns, bottles/beer and some card game that begins with 'b'? Or 'cakes, ......, and cards'?