Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
platos combinados
English translation:
Mixed platters
Added to glossary by
franglish
Apr 7, 2007 15:02
17 yrs ago
24 viewers *
Spanish term
platos combinados
Spanish to English
Other
Cooking / Culinary
Everyone who has been to Spain has seen platos combinados advertised by various bars and cafeterias, even the cheaper restaurants. But has anyone got a good English term for this this? My suggestions so far are A meal on a plate or a single-plate meal.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 +1 | Mixed platters |
franglish
|
| 4 +3 | assorted platter |
Cecilia Della Croce
|
| 4 +2 | variety dish / meal - combined meal / dish |
Xenia Wong
|
| 4 +2 | combination plates |
roneill
|
| 4 +2 | Lunch Special or Dinner Special |
John Myles White (X)
|
| 4 +2 | mixed plates |
Nedra Rivera Huntington
|
| 3 +1 | One course meal |
Andy Watkinson
|
| 4 | plated meal |
Wil Hardman (X)
|
| 4 | main meal |
Wil Hardman (X)
|
| 4 | one-dish meals |
Simon Bruni
|
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Selected
Mixed platters
Though 'assorted platter' sounds good, it refers to one kind of food, i.e. seafood, vegetables, pastries etc.
The 'Plato combinado' served in Spain includes some meat, possibly fried eggs, french fries and some slices of tomato.
The 'Plato combinado' served in Spain includes some meat, possibly fried eggs, french fries and some slices of tomato.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Nedra Rivera Huntington
: More common than my suggestion, I think, but the use of platter to me implies something to share, while that's not so with platos combinados.
5 hrs
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Thanks, Nedra. Either is in fact used to describe a single dish for 1 person, platter more often so than plate, but I agree that platter has a connotation of sharing.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I like this the best. While "One course meal" is the best "translation", I think "Mixed Platters" is the closest in cultural terms to the original. The "Specials" term is also attractive."
+2
3 mins
Xenia Wong
Native in Spanish
&
English
Excellence-promptness-guarantee-20 yrs.
Native in: Spanish 
, English
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
16
variety dish / meal - combined meal / dish
Una opción.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Henrique Serra
2 mins
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Henrique, muy amable.....xen :)
|
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| agree |
Fernando Fabrega R.
55 mins
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Fernando, agradecida...xen :)
|
+3
32 mins
Cecilia Della Croce
Argentina
Argentina
Native in Spanish
Works in field
Argentina
the help you need to convey your message
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
assorted platter
hth
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Marsha Way
: This is the most natural-sounding. I like it.
2 mins
|
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thanx, Marsha
|
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| agree |
jmf
40 mins
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gracias y saludos
|
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| agree |
Adriana de Groote
: Creo que es la opción más usual
58 mins
|
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gracias y saludos, Adriana
|
+2
2 hrs
combination plates
That's what I see on menus here.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-04-07 17:26:40 GMT)
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http://www.laposta-de-mesilla.com/html/combination_plates.ht...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-04-07 17:26:40 GMT)
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http://www.laposta-de-mesilla.com/html/combination_plates.ht...
Note from asker:
| This is presumably the appropriate US translation. Not common in the UK, however. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Nedra Rivera Huntington
: I agree for the US.
5 hrs
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Thanks
|
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| agree |
Patrice
: Yes
8 hrs
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Thanks
|
+2
23 mins
Lunch Special or Dinner Special
I would just say "lunch special" or "dinner special" as that's what we call a fixed meal (in cheap restaurants at least) with several included pieces that has a lower price than ordering the pieces separately. The references below are just two of many you'll find searching for "lunch specials".
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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-04-07 19:00:02 GMT)
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You're right that it's not an ideal translation: the exact word that "lunch special" or "dinner special" really translates for is "menú" as in the first definition for "menú" that the DRAE gives. (www.rae.es)
But part of the problem is that in America cheap restaurants call something a "special" when it is precisely _not_ what a nice restaurant would call a "special" -- i.e. something special that isn't normally on the menu. Chinese restaurants offer "lunch specials" that are really just combinations of a routine appetizer, entrée and dessert for a fixed price.
Or am I wrong about thinking that "platos combinados" is basically equivalent to "menú"?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2007-04-07 19:00:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
You're right that it's not an ideal translation: the exact word that "lunch special" or "dinner special" really translates for is "menú" as in the first definition for "menú" that the DRAE gives. (www.rae.es)
But part of the problem is that in America cheap restaurants call something a "special" when it is precisely _not_ what a nice restaurant would call a "special" -- i.e. something special that isn't normally on the menu. Chinese restaurants offer "lunch specials" that are really just combinations of a routine appetizer, entrée and dessert for a fixed price.
Or am I wrong about thinking that "platos combinados" is basically equivalent to "menú"?
Reference:
http://www.chiangmaiportsmouth.com/lunchspecials.html
http://www.olivemountainrestaurant.com/02-lunch-evanston.html
Note from asker:
| Not a bad phrase, except that platos combinados are generally routine fare and there are many of them, whereas a lunch special is usually just one. OK, sometimes you can see lunch specials. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Patrice
1 hr
|
| agree |
Lia Fail (X)
1 hr
|
| agree |
patricia scott
1 hr
|
| disagree |
Carol Gullidge
: in answer to yr question: it's not basically equivalent to "menu", but one of a selection from the menu - often with photo so you see exactly what the "combination" is! It can be almost anything, but is all on 1 plate, whilst "menu" is usually more than 1
6 hrs
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Maybe the solution to your point, which gets to the heart of the exact subtlety causing problems, is to call the thing a "lunch platter" or a "dinner platter" to make it clear that it's all on one plate.
|
+2
7 hrs
Nedra Rivera Huntington
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Reliability, conscientiousness and style
Native in: English (Variants: US, UK) 
Works in: Spanish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
42
mixed plates
UKTV Food > Recipes > Lamb Mixed Plate
http://uktv.co.uk/index.cfm/uktv/Food.recipe/aID/574992/
Combinado Vegetariano (Mixed plate with cheese and rice croquettes
http://toptable.co.uk/timesonline/details.cfm?rid=2103&p=3
Combinado de peixe (Mixed plate with prawns, cassava chips, cheesebread, salt cod
http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/travel/greater-london/london-ce...
http://uktv.co.uk/index.cfm/uktv/Food.recipe/aID/574992/
Combinado Vegetariano (Mixed plate with cheese and rice croquettes
http://toptable.co.uk/timesonline/details.cfm?rid=2103&p=3
Combinado de peixe (Mixed plate with prawns, cassava chips, cheesebread, salt cod
http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/travel/greater-london/london-ce...
+1
23 hrs
One course meal
Hi,
Possibly one of the worst things to have to translate, I agree.
I believe your own suggestions are more accurate than those above.
What the Spanish term stresses is the fact that it's not the typical two/three course meal starting with soup perhaps, then "guisantes con jamón" etc.. followed by a lonely steak on a plate, but everything on one plate.
We obviously don't have a special term for it in English because in the UK it isn't special. It's the norm.
I'd use your own suggestions or perhaps "One course meal".
Andy
Possibly one of the worst things to have to translate, I agree.
I believe your own suggestions are more accurate than those above.
What the Spanish term stresses is the fact that it's not the typical two/three course meal starting with soup perhaps, then "guisantes con jamón" etc.. followed by a lonely steak on a plate, but everything on one plate.
We obviously don't have a special term for it in English because in the UK it isn't special. It's the norm.
I'd use your own suggestions or perhaps "One course meal".
Andy
299 days
plated meal
What a difficult term- I just don't think mixed/assorted platter is correct. One course meal or 'meal on a plate' are more accurate but sound strange in English. Plated meal- I think is accurate and a term that is commonly used, in both senses of the word ;)
299 days
main meal
another option..
1362 days
one-dish meals
For posterity.
Or perhaps 'single-dish meals'
Or perhaps 'single-dish meals'
Discussion