# candle-lit dinner



## charlie2

Hello,
I don't know why I feel a bit embarrassed to ask this question.
How do you say candle-lit dinner in French? Will "avoir un diner romantique" do the trick? Do you have to spell out "les bougies"? (Eventually there may not be candles, just a huge bill.)
Thank you.


----------



## DDT

I'd suggest "dîner aux chandelles"

DDT


----------



## charlie2

Thank you, DDT.
Ah yes, chandelles are the candles on the table and bougies are just those on the cakes?


----------



## Agnès E.

They are the same stuff !
Actually, "chandelle" is an old-fashioned word, that we only use in "dîner aux chandelles", which is the right way to translate the English candle-lit dinner.
We have left chandelle now for the use of "bougies", whatever their size is... (bougies sur un... chandelier => careful, faux-ami, not the same chandelier as in English, bougies d'anniversaire, bougies en cire d'abeille, etc.). We also have "cierges" (much bigger ones) used in the Catholic churches for instance.


----------



## charlie2

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> bougies sur un... chandelier => careful, faux-ami, not the same chandelier as in English,


Merci, Agnes. I have checked out this _faux-ami_. Pour ceux qui ont ete facilement trompes (comme moi), c'est "candlestick" en anglais.


----------



## LV4-26

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> "chandelle" is an old-fashioned word, that we only use in "dîner aux chandelles


And in "tenir la chandelle"..


----------



## Agnès E.

Bon sang mais c'est bien sûr, LV4-26 !!


----------



## DDT

LV4-26 said:
			
		

> And in "tenir la chandelle"..



Which means "to play gooseberry" (I always tried not to  )

DDT


----------



## charlie2

I think this thread is getting more and more colourful. It started with just a dinner.


----------



## fetchezlavache

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> They are the same stuff !
> Actually, "chandelle" is an old-fashioned word, that we only use in "dîner aux chandelles", which is the right way to translate the English candle-lit dinner.
> We have left chandelle now for the use of "bougies", whatever their size is... (bougies sur un... chandelier => careful, faux-ami, not the same chandelier as in English, bougies d'anniversaire, bougies en cire d'abeille, etc.). We also have "cierges" (much bigger ones) used in the Catholic churches for instance.




we also have candelabre, and it sounds like it has the same origin as chandelle !


----------



## Agnès E.

fetchezlavache said:
			
		

> we also have candelabre, and it sounds like it has the same origin as chandelle !


 
That's right, Fetchezlavache !   
We do not use them anymore, whereas we still use "cierges".


----------



## Jabote

LV4-26 said:
			
		

> And in "tenir la chandelle"..


 
And in "avoir la chandelle au bout du nez"...

Signed: The Poet...


----------



## Agnès E.

Jabote, if it not going to "chat", please : SOME EXPLANATIONS !!!!!!!!! <imploring smiley>


----------



## DDT

Jabote said:
			
		

> And in "avoir la chandelle au bout du nez"...
> 
> Signed: The Poet...



Which is "to be snotty-nosed"...how poetical!
*cannot decide whether to be snotty-nosed during a candle-lit dinner or while playing gooseberry* 

DDT


----------



## Jabote

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> Jabote, if it not going to "chat", please : SOME EXPLANATIONS !!!!!!!!! <imploring smiley>


 
= avoir la morve au nez... c'mon Agnes, you're still sleeping ! Where's your imagination ?!


----------



## fetchezlavache

rofl jabote ! voilà ce qu'il faut faire pour faire partir la chandelle


----------



## Agnès E.

Jabote said:
			
		

> = avoir la morve au nez... c'mon Agnes, you're still sleeping ! Where's your imagination ?!


 
I did even not dare imaginating...
And you signed "the Poet", tricheuse


----------



## Jabote

fetchezlavache said:
			
		

> rofl jabote ! voilà ce qu'il faut faire pour faire partir la chandelle


 
Ha ha ! Where do you get all your little smilies fetchez ?!


----------



## Jabote

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> *I did not even dare imagine*...


 
... if I may... or even better: I dared not even imagine...


----------



## Jabote

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> And you signed "the Poet", tricheuse


 
You should know by now that the Poet and I are one and the same, no ?


----------



## DDT

Jabote said:
			
		

> You should know by now that the Poet and I are one and the same, no ?





			
				Jabote said:
			
		

> Ok let's quit chatting here otherwise we'll get slapped by Benjy...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> to Benjy...



You said it yourself...let me remind you there are some other mean mods slapping chatting foreros    

DDT


----------



## Jabote

Why am I always the one paying for everyone when everybody else also chit-chats, I wonder...

Anyway.... message is clear enough here.... am shutting up


----------



## la grive solitaire

This doesn't hold a candle to all that was said  :+)  but... I thought I should mention that in English, a romantic dinner lit by candles is called a candle*light*  dinner.


----------



## lainyn

Que signfie "to play gooseberry" en anglais? Moi, je ne comprends pas du tout l'expression.

Merci
~Lainyn


----------



## sophievm

Lainyn,
La lecture de tout le thread aurait dû t'éclairer pourtant ! "to play gooseberry" = "tenir la chandelle" (se retrouver seul-e avec un couple qui préférerait être tranquille).


----------



## charlie2

sophievm said:
			
		

> Lainyn,
> La lecture de tout le thread aurait dû t'éclairer pourtant ! "to play gooseberry" = "tenir la chandelle" (se retrouver seul-e avec un couple qui préférerait être tranquille).


I know this is a French-English forum, but I just have to add that in Chinese (or Cantonese, should I say) "tenir la chandelle" = "être l'ampoule électrique".


----------



## sophievm

C'est marrant, on dirait une traduction/modernisation de l'expression française ! C'est vrai que la Chine est le pays de la technologie...


----------



## lainyn

Oh! Je m'excuse, Sophievm. Je comprends l'expression français bien sûr, mais c'est seulement que je n'ai (avais??) jamais entendu cette expression "to play the gooseberry" avant hier soir. Je voulait dire: Where did it originate from?


----------



## fetchezlavache

awwwwwwww lainyn there is no need to apologise... 

you were right, you should have said 'je n'*avais* jamais entendu' ... and also 'je voulai*s* dire'. 

as for the origin of the phrase, here's what i found, for what it's worth.



> Gooseberry: To play gooseberry now means to be an unwelcome third party at a lovers' meeting. In the past it was used somewhat less specifically and meant any unwanted third party. In the old days Gooseberry was one of the many euphemisms for the Devil, who was naturally not welcome in most company.


----------



## Benjy

also sometimes called the third wheel 
nothing worse than being stuck in the car while your brother makes out with his fiancée :s


----------



## Agnès E.

Be modern, Benjy, as we French people are :

"être la cinquième roue du carrosse"


----------



## charlie2

Benjy said:
			
		

> also sometimes called the third wheel
> nothing worse than being stuck in the car while your brother makes out with his fiancée :s


One sentence, no chatting. I have been there.


----------



## lainyn

Merci beaucoup, Fetchezlavache!

L'explication m'a bien aidée, et je te remercie pour m'avoir corrigé mes erreurs. Je confonde parfois les terminaisons des verbes parce que je ne suis pas assez diligente avec l'orthographe.  

Et Benjy, je suis d'accord! Il existerait seulement une pire chose: d'être présent pendant qu'un couple faisaient l'amour. (Moi, j'ai rencontré un garçon pauvre...) Mais, il ne faut pas bavarder.

-Lainyn


----------



## Gil

lainyn said:
			
		

> Merci beaucoup, Fetchezlavache!
> 
> L'explication m'a bien aidée, et je te remercie pour m'avoir corrigé mes erreurs. Je confonde parfois les terminaisons des verbes parce que je ne suis pas assez diligente avec l'orthographe.
> 
> Et Benjy, je suis d'accord! Il existerait seulement une pire chose: d'être présent pendant qu'un couple faisaient l'amour. (Moi, j'ai rencontré un garçon pauvre...) Mais, il ne faut pas bavarder.
> 
> -Lainyn


Un couple qui fait l'amour... c'est singulier.


----------



## Agnès E.

Gil said:
			
		

> Un couple qui fait l'amour... c'est singulier.


 
Sauf s'ils sont bi !


----------



## Benjy

*cough* là on est hors du sujet un peu *cough*


----------



## LV4-26

lainyn said:
			
		

> d'être présent pendant qu'un couple faisaient l'amour.


J'ai toujours cru que c'était exactement ça, tenir la chandelle, au moins quand cette expression a commencée à être utilisée.

PS : I like this thread.


----------



## DDT

Since the original topic has been fully answered and the replies are turning into a nice off-topic chat, I feel forced to close this thread 

DDT


----------

