Help with a word

Gahr

Gahr

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Ok, so I was just asked by someone how to translate a very specific old Norwegian word into English. The word in Norwegian is "bedarlag", which means something like a party to which people are invited in order to eat the leftovers from a bigger party like a wedding, christening or birthday party. I suppose the expression "potluck supper" could be used, but does anyone have a better term? I'm not looking for a phrase explaining what party it is, but a specific word (if there is one).

Also: Is there a specific word for what we in Norway would call "kurvfest"? "Kurvfest" litterally means "basket party" and is a party where everyone brings a dish (or more) or drinks for the guests to share. Is there a specific word for this? Or does "potluck supper" kind of cover it here too?
 
Gahr said:
Also: Is there a specific word for what we in Norway would call "kurvfest"? "Kurvfest" litterally means "basket party" and is a party where everyone brings a dish (or more) or drinks for the guests to share. Is there a specific word for this? Or does "potluck supper" kind of cover it here too?
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I'm only familiar with the use of the single word: Potluck

I don't know any english word that properly labels your after-party after the main party.

I guess you Norweegies really like to party... :cheers:
 
Gahr said:
Ok, so I was just asked by someone how to translate a very specific old Norwegian word into English. The word in Norwegian is "bedarlag", which means something like a party to which people are invited in order to eat the leftovers from a bigger party like a wedding, christening or birthday party. I suppose the expression "potluck supper" could be used, but does anyone have a better term? I'm not looking for a phrase explaining what party it is, but a specific word (if there is one).

Also: Is there a specific word for what we in Norway would call "kurvfest"? "Kurvfest" litterally means "basket party" and is a party where everyone brings a dish (or more) or drinks for the guests to share. Is there a specific word for this? Or does "potluck supper" kind of cover it here too?
Click to expand...

I've got no word for the first one, but I say it could be called a leftover-fest, a leftover-feast, or leftover-munchie-time OR better yet teach us your word ;)
My understanding of pot-luck is a bunch of people getting together to eat and the invited people just kind of bring something feel like bringing and what ever happens to show up is what is eaten...
 
Drumoid said:
I've got no word for the first one, but I say it could be called a leftover-fest, a leftover-feast, or leftover-munchie-time OR better yet teach us your word ;)
My understanding of pot-luck is a bunch of people getting together to eat and the invited people just kind of bring something feel like bringing and what ever happens to show up is what is eaten...
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"Kurvfest" is pretty much exactly what you describe at the end. People are invited, and they bring whatever they want.
 
I don’t know of a specific, single word in American english for your first example.

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding your example, but normally, in the US we wouldn’t have a party specifically to have leftovers from a previous party. Such an event would be more of an informal gathering. Invitations would be informal, as well. An invitation might be something like, “Hey, Gahr. How would you like to come over this evening to hang out? We’re gonna have some leftovers from Adrian’s birthday party.”

“Potluck” would be appropriate for your second example. You don’t necessarily need to add the word “supper,” unless you’re specifically intending to convey the idea of the evening meal.

In the US, the term “supper” is universally understood, but it is more regional in its usage. In many parts of the country, the term “dinner” is used for the evening meal.
 
Isn't bederlag is when you cant fall asleep?
Or when a new girlfriend makes you wait along time before putting out for the first tiem?
(bed-'er-lag)
And pot luck is if whether or not anyone in the group has any pot, or not.

The first is when you invite over the B-list relatives.
The second is when everyone says to everyone else - "I thought you were bringin' stuff, man ", in a Tommy Chong voice.
If anyone did have pot, there would then be a trip for some Yodels, Twinkies and Doritos.

I am Jackassacus!!

I am not aware of any better descriptors.
Turdhats we can come up with some.
 
Norwegian is full of words that exist nowhere else - probably because Norwegians are full of such ideas. My niece recently had her Russefeiring. In what other country do the kids start planning their end-of-school celebration the day they start?
 
smitty_p said:
I don’t know of a specific, single word in American english for your first example.

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding your example, but normally, in the US we wouldn’t have a party specifically to have leftovers from a previous party. Such an event would be more of an informal gathering. Invitations would be informal, as well. An invitation might be something like, “Hey, Gahr. How would you like to come over this evening to hang out? We’re gonna have some leftovers from Adrian’s birthday party.”

“Potluck” would be appropriate for your second example. You don’t necessarily need to add the word “supper,” unless you’re specifically intending to convey the idea of the evening meal.

In the US, the term “supper” is universally understood, but it is more regional in its usage. In many parts of the country, the term “dinner” is used for the evening meal.
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A "bedarlag" would be very informal. The word itself is really not in use anymore, but is a relic from older times. But I guess "potluck" covers it pretty well, actually. "Curvets" would usually be fairly informal too, but could also be a tad more formal, with proper invitations etc.
 
DonP said:
Norwegian is full of words that exist nowhere else - probably because Norwegians are full of such ideas. My niece recently had her Russefeiring. In what other country do the kids start planning their end-of-school celebration the day they start?
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Well, personally I always viewed school like inmates do prison: there are only 2 days, the first one and the last one.
 
Gahr said:
A "bedarlag" would be very informal. The word itself is really not in use anymore, but is a relic from older times. But I guess "potluck" covers it pretty well, actually. "Curvets" would usually be fairly informal too, but could also be a tad more formal, with proper invitations etc.
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Interesting. Thanks for the clarification. I love learning new cultural things, so this is cool to know!

Still, in American English I don’t know of a single, specific word. You may have to use more of a dynamic equivalency to convey the idea. The term “Leftovers” is as close as I can get, but you’d still have to explain where the leftovers came from. The term “Leftovers” can refer to food remaining from any meal, whether just a previous meal or an actual party. You’d still have to add some context.
 
DonP said:
Norwegian is full of words that exist nowhere else - probably because Norwegians are full of such ideas. My niece recently had her Russefeiring. In what other country do the kids start planning their end-of-school celebration the day they start?
Click to expand...
Hahaha! "Russefeiring" is a pretty Norwegian word, yes. An excuse for students in the final year of hghschool to party like idiots. It has become such a problem in some places that the media is full of stories and debates on whether we would be better off banning it. Some kids spend hundreds of thousands on rigging buses to use for parties. A person doing his or her "russefeiring" ("feiring"="celebration") is called a "russ". The origin of the word is presumably latin, and one theory is that it stems from the words "depositurus", a word used to describe students who were to undergo a special ceremony in order to be admitted to university.
 
sloppy seconds?
Maybe the original meaning before the sexual connotation was added?
NOt a single word though, hmmm
dogenscrapenz?

I eat leftovers at home probably half the week, lol.
 
Gahr said:
But I guess "potluck" covers it pretty well, actually
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Usually, a potluck refers to a gathering where the attendees prepare a dish specifically for that gathering. It's not really referring to a gathering where food that is left over from another party is being consumed.

I'm going to ask my wife if she knows of anything better to use!

Isn't language fun!
 
right, one deals with leftovers and the other a meal of what everyone brings.
Multiculturalism could make it interesting, especially if anyone is suspicious of being poisoned.

would a fracas at the kurvfest be a kurvfuffel?
 
My wife is stumped, too!

Sometimes, we will use the term, "After-party." This usually refers to a smaller, relaxed gathering of some of the attendees of a previous, more formal party. The after-party usually comes shortly after the main party (meaning, the same day) and often isn't formally planned. If a guest to the previous party brought any food and has some left over, he might bring it to an after-party. But, the idea isn't so much to eat food left over from the first party, as it is just to get together and chill out.
 
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