KudoZ question not available

14:55 Jul 19, 2011

This question was closed without grading. Reason: Other

French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Cooking / Culinary

French term or phrase: entame

This term is used in French to denote the first slice of a loaf of bread, cake, baguette, terrine etc. where the person gets the crust as part of his slice. For the life of me I cannot think of the appropriate English expression (if one exists) -other than 'first slice' already proposed previously on ProZ. My French friends mock me when I can only proffer that answer.

Can anyone help me out of my misery, please?

Andrew Mason KudoZ activity Questions: 67 (none open) (1 without valid answers) (19 closed without grading) Answers: 158 France
Local time: 08:02

Summary of answers provided

3 +2

heel

cc in nyc

4 +1

heel / crust

Tony M

first slice/ crust

Nikki Scott-Despaigne

crusty first slice

B D Finch

end / crust

Sheila Wilson

Crust / Upper crust

Alexandra Maldwyn-Davies

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

7 mins confidence:

Crust / Upper crust

Explanation:
I always just called it the crust, but there are some interesting discussions on the links below! You're not the only one who's been wondering about this!

Reference: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=80395
Reference: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_end_piece_of_a_loaf_of...

Alexandra Maldwyn-Davies
Local time: 08:02
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your help

42 mins confidence:

crusty first slice

Explanation:
Though they both would be exactly the same if the whole loaf were cut at once; the heel, being the last slice, is usually a bit dried up on the inside and the crust is a bit leathery. So, I think you need to use an expression that indicates that this is actually something nice. Decent bread is still something relatively novel in Britain (particularly north of Watford), which is probably why we don't have an equivalent word.

Perhaps the comment in brackets above is just because I'm a Londoner!

B D Finch
France
Local time: 08:02
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43

Notes to answerer

Asker: Many thanks - also for suggesting that my friends' tendency to mockery should cease

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

first slice / heel heel

Explanation:
The Wordreference crowd thinks that "heel" works for "entame," though I usually only use it for the slice of bread that is left at the end.

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Note added at 15 mins (2011-07-19 15:11:05 GMT)
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Oops, I meant to enter my ENGLISH TERM as "first slice / heel." :o

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Note added at 16 mins (2011-07-19 15:12:20 GMT)
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And again, Answers entered before mine were not visible to me. :-|

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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-07-19 18:27:00 GMT)
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The more I google it, the more convinced I am that "heel" refers to the last portion of bread, cheese, salami, etc. So I think first slice is still the only choice. :-/

Reference: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=80395

cc in nyc
Local time: 02:02
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for this

5 hrs confidence:

first slice/ crust

Explanation:
"Entamer" means to start. The "entame" is the first slice of a crust. I'd be tempted to say "first end slice" but that sounds odd. Maybe even "first slice with the crust on it" may do the trick although it is horribly long. Sometimes there is no other natural way round it!

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 08:02
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 20

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks Nikki

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

heel / crust

Explanation:
Well, for a loaf of bread, we usually say 'crust', and for other things 'heel' (though that is used for bread too). Cf. the FR word 'talon' for the same thing (but usually referring to the last bit left, rather than the first bit...)

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Note added at 18 heures (2011-07-20 09:05:57 GMT)
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I think 'heel' is a somewhat old-fashioned term now, but certainly people of my parents' generation did indeed use it for the first slice (specifically, of bread, which is the commonest case where it crops up) — though I suspect this was indeed a mis-use, in that no distinction was being made between the first or last slice.

But I can only agree with other answerers and commenters: in the general case, 'first slice / piece' is about the only viable term in EN that suits most cases.

Tony M
France
Local time: 08:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 410

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks Tony, I have to confess never to have heard the word 'heel' in this context, but that must be just my simple ignorance..

20 hrs confidence:

end / crust

Explanation:
I would always use "crust" for bread but where this would not apply e.g. cake or pâté in a loaf shape then I would just use "end" or "end bit". Things my Mum used to say and I said in my turn:

I suppose you want the crust again?
Who wants the end (bit/slice) of cake?
If you like the meat jelly, you can have the end.

In spoken, informal English I think we would say this rather than "first slice", "last slice" etc. Of course, end can refer to the last slice, too but you've got the context in front of you!

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Note added at 4 days (2011-07-23 15:55:51 GMT)
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You aren't alone, Andrew! I never heard the term "heel" used in this context during the 38 years I was in the UK.

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 07:02
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 56

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks Sheila, I feel sure you are probably right on the ball here, especially, as I said to Tony, I have never heard 'heel' usd in this sense. And I can hear my mother saying the same things as yours!

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