Tuesday, 25 June 2019

Lingo


Del Boy is fluent in many languages. His deft use of foreign phrases in everyday language is an impressive demonstration of his cosmopolitan nature. Equally at home in Paris, Munich or Peckham, Del is a true European for the 21st century.

Compiled by OFAH aficionado Zane Clements.


adegos - Del's effort at adios. Spanish for goodbye.
a fait acopian - Del's French for "don't upset yourself".
Ajax - an expression of greeting usually to someone from the Netherlands.
al dente! - Spanish for "there you go!"
allemagne dix points - phrase similar to "such is life", possibly Del picked this up from European Song Contest.
apres moi la deluge - French meaning, "when I'm dead, all others may die too".
argent comptant - French from Cannes meaning, "brill".
au contraire - French for "hang on a minute"
au revoir - French for "hello".
au fait - Del likes using this but pronounces it "oh fate".
bain marie - no problem.
boeuf a la mode - phrase similar to "you win some and lose some"
bonjour - French for "goodbye!"
bonnet de douche - French and impressive.
bonetti bonetti - Del's best Italian.
bon appetit - French for "I hope you choke on the potatoes"
catalogue raisonne - Hold on, as they say in Beritz.
Chateauneuf du Pape! - Reserved for an explosive situation.
chasse de forme - meaning, "the diamonds are good" in French.
conseil d'etat - He helps me, I help him as they say in Grenobles.
creme de la menthe - French for the "very best"
di stefano - Italian for "well done". 
Don Ochetti - Del used this as a greeting, until he realised it was the name of a Mafia boss.


fabrique belgique - I agree or approve in Belgium.
fromage frais! - Like Eureka! (when the penny has dropped)
je suis je reste - superb according to Del.joie de vivre! - an exclamation that impresses or French for putting a bit of life back into your own life.
Juan - the name of all Spanish waiters.
mais oui - no problem, my pleasure.
mange tout- my pleasure, variation like above.
menage a trois - an exclamation of surprise.
Miguel - Del's name for all Portuguese barmen.
münchengladbach - German for "hello".
Moet Champagne- The only champagne Del knows, and pronounces like poet champers.
moi - French and classy way of saying "me".
Mon dieu!- exclamation implying, "you idiot".
oeuf sur la plat - French for "it's clear cut".
oh mai oui, mon pleasure - French, sophisticated Del.
Pas de Calais - approving or divine.
Pate foie gras - French for liver sausage, goes well with Moet Champers.
Pot Pourri! - French for "I don't believe it!"
plume de ma tante - expression of exasperation like "Gordon Bennett".
polizia - Del can say police in more than one language.
puscas puscas - approval, it's alright in Spanish.
rein a dire, rein a faire - Perplexing French Del picked up from Lordes.
raisse de chassie - more French Del picked up from Dieppe.
Revenons a nos moutonst - apparently a quote from the guv'nor of Bastille. French for 'I've got to do something quick.'
servir frais mois non glace - French for "it could of been on the top floor".
 
si danke schon, bonjour - proves how multi-lingual Del is (Spanish, German and French)
tel aviv - Del reckons the French use this for "you can never tell".
tete de veau- Del reckons the French use this for "everyone's a winner".
tete-a-tete - A head to head meeting with drug barons.
tres bien ensemble - French for possessing a sense of occasion.
Vive la France- it's what you say with respect to the American national anthem.
tres bien ensemble - French for possessing a sense of occasion.
Voila! - The French say it after T-cutting a square inch of the Capri Ghia, it's a way of encouraging Rodney to finish the rest of the car off.