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étrennes

English translation: wish list (here), (more commonly) Christmas or New Year's gift

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:étrennes
English translation:wish list (here), (more commonly) Christmas or New Year's gift
Entered by: Jocelyne S

11:25 Feb 15, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Linguistics / Poster slogans
French term or phrase: étrennes
I've found this term translated as "New Year's gift" in all of my dictionaries, but I've never heard tell of such a gift so I'm actually looking for a bit of context with regard to the EN term.

The term appears here in a slogan on a Spanish Civil War (Iron Column) poster which reads:
"Nos étrennes, des armes et des munitions"

Thank you for your insight!
Jocelyne
Jocelyne S
France
Local time: 00:19
christmas gift
Explanation:
I never knew this term was disappearing.

Grandmothers, aunts and others in the family give 'étrennes' (often used when it is money rather than a specific toy or gift)

The revolutionaries want guns and powder for Christmas...

May be the sentence was pronounced by some famous actor of a revolution
Selected response from:

Odette Grille (X)
Canada
Local time: 18:19
Grading comment
Thank you very much to all for your helpful suggestions!

Best,
Jocelyne
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2See Bourth's explanation
jacqueb
4 +2christmas gift
Odette Grille (X)
5gift
gabuss
4 +1NFG
French Foodie
4our dues (ici)
wolmix
3savings
Miranda Joubioux (X)


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
savings


Explanation:
This word is often used to mean savings, since a lot of people put money by at the end of the year when they are most likely to receive a bit.
I don't think it refers to a gift being made to the soldiers.

I'd put something like
Our savings are going towards arms and munitions.

Miranda Joubioux (X)
Local time: 00:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
christmas gift


Explanation:
I never knew this term was disappearing.

Grandmothers, aunts and others in the family give 'étrennes' (often used when it is money rather than a specific toy or gift)

The revolutionaries want guns and powder for Christmas...

May be the sentence was pronounced by some famous actor of a revolution

Odette Grille (X)
Canada
Local time: 18:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 2
Grading comment
Thank you very much to all for your helpful suggestions!

Best,
Jocelyne

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  French Foodie: Just to reassure you, I don't think it's disappearing :-) At least not in my family, although more for New Year's than Christmas in our case
1 hr
  -> Merci Mara
agree  Richard Levy (X): Je suis d'accord avec Odette.
3 hrs
  -> Merci Richard
agree  Raymonde Gagnier: Les étrennes, on les a dans le temps des fêtes! Surtout à Noël!
4 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
our dues (ici)


Explanation:
-

wolmix
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
See Bourth's explanation


Explanation:
He/she nailed it.

jacqueb
Local time: 18:19
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X)
7 hrs
agree  Gabrielle Bannard: I think "our wish list" is appropriate, especially in light of Odette Grille's explanation. "Wish list" is more general, and although used often for Christmas, can be for any time.
11 hrs
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
gift


Explanation:
in this context.
But it can be "Christmas gift or present" or "money" according to Oxford/Hachette Dictionary and it can also be "New Year's gift or present" according to Harraps' Dictionary .
To tanslate the slogan, pls read: "For our gift, give us arms and munitions"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2007-02-15 21:15:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Etrennes (cadeau) = gift Cf. Oxford/Hachette Dictionary

gabuss
Local time: 22:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
NFG


Explanation:
Not an answer to the quesiton, but simply bcs I find the etrennes discussion interesting. In addition to the tips to fireman and refuse collectors around Christmas time as Bourth has already pointed out, in my family (in-laws from the Pas de Calais), les étrennes are very specific to the New Year. You have to go around to all your aunts, uncles, relatives (phone call or card will *not* do) and wish them happy New Year. They will often give money to the children, but it is interesting how they use étrennes as a verb, i.e. "aie, je dois aller étrenner ma grand-mere..." to simply mean this act of going round and giving your best wishes for the New Year, and not so much the money you may or may not receive :-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2007-02-16 07:36:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or to go with CMJ's Christmas song theme:
'Tis the season for weapons and ammo! ;-)

French Foodie
Local time: 00:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): I find this a very interesting background to all the discussions/ I guess the only chlice is to "agree" even if it is not for points :)
7 hrs
  -> thanks Ingeborg :-)
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