Latest news with #AsterixandObelix
Local France
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Local France
French Word of the Day: Bande
Why do I need to know bande? Because this French word has several different meanings you might not have expected. What does it mean? Bande - roughly pronounced bahnd - is one of those French words that looks like it should translate easily into English, but in reality, it has a variety of different meanings. In some cases, it is possible to directly translate bande as band, but this is its least common usage. In this case, you might translate the exercise item 'resistance band' as bande de résistance , or a cloth band as a bande de tissu. You are more likely to see bande used to mean 'strip'. In this context, you might hear talk of the bande de Gaza (the Gaza Strip), or bandes dessinées (comic books, originally comic strips). Advertisement The other meaning you will come across is bande in the sense of a group of people, as you might see in more formal or older English writing. Crucially, though, you cannot use bande in French to refer to a group of musicians. In this case, the correct term would be groupe . For other groups or collections of people, you would say une bande de potes (a group of friends). You can also use it to add emphasis to your French swearing - for a group of idiots, you could call them a bande de cons. Meanwhile in a legal sense une bande organisée refers to a gang, and membership of une bande organisée can increase the severity of charges against a suspected criminal. Use it like this La police a arrêté une bande de voleurs qui dérobaient les téléphones des usagers du métro. - The police stopped a group of thieves who were stealing phones from people on the Metro. Avez-vous déjà lu la bande dessinée Astérix et Obélix ? C'est ma préférée. - Have you ever read the Asterix and Obelix comic? It's my favourite.
Mint
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Lounge Loves: ‘Asterix and Obelix', a foldover pizza sandwich and more
Earlier in March, I carried my entire Asterix and Obelix collection from my parents' home in Bengal to Mumbai. I wanted to introduce the popular French comic series to my seven-year-old son, who surprisingly got hooked in no time. So you can imagine our excitement when Netflix released the comic adaptation of Asterix and Obelix recently. We binge-watched all five episodes of the The Big Fight series, that go back in time to the beloved Gaulish warrior duo's childhood, including an incident where Obelix accidentally falls into a vat of magic potion and acquires superhuman strength. What got us most excited are some new characters like Apothika, an old friend of the village druid Getafix, and Metadata, the cool rebel girl, who helps Julius Caesar strategise the big fight between the Gauls and the Romans. This one's an absolute riot of fun. Like most boys his age, eight-and-a-half-year-old Palash Ranjan Sen, aka Poltu, loves reading Phantom comics. But unlike his peers, he has a scientist mother who is headed for an Arctic mission, and an uncle with an odd job—rehoming ghosts ousted by the forces of climate change and urbanisation. Sudeshna Shome Ghosh's delightful middle-grade novel takes you on a night-long taxi ride through the spookiest neighbourhoods of Kolkata. With fun illustrations by Pankaj Saikia, the story will not only resonate with readers around Poltu's age, but also their seniors. Weren't we all eight once, looking for friendly ghosts to spice up our boring lives swamped with school and holiday homework? I have a WhatsApp group with two friends—each of us in our 30s, navigating very different life stages—united by a love for home improvement finds. I call it calming capitalism. We trade notes on bedsheets, diffusers, label makers, and most recently, sunscreen for the group's only man, who's new to skincare. When I needed a spray bottle that could handle both my plant babies and my unruly curls, I turned to the youngest in the group, our resident make-up artist. She suggested Inovera (Label)'s mist spray bottle, and it's been a quiet joy. My leaves are perked up, and taming my hair feels like less of a chore now. The group chat? Still going strong, fuelled by product recs, tiny upgrades, and the everyday thrill of making life feel a little nicer. Hipsters everywhere will hate me for saying this: I hate sourdough. Don't mess with sandwich bread, I say. So it was with great suspicion that I tried a 'foldover pizza sandwich' at Breakaway Pizzeria and Café in Panaji last month, and—you know where this is going—I loved it. It's a take on the panuzzo, and has roots in Naples, like the Neapolitan pizza they serve. Breakaway's dough is 70% hydrated, which means there's 700 grams of water for every 1,000g of flour, and fermented for 44 hours. The bread is pulled by hand and baked fresh for every sandwich, which gives every panuzzo that perfectly mild char and the light little pockets that make Neapolitan pizza special. There's the comfort of bread, without it overwhelming the filling itself, whether it's fresh tomatoes and stracciatella with basil pesto, or meatballs with mozzarella.
Local France
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
PODCAST: Crunch time for Le Pen, Ryanair's threat and McDonald's targets rural France
Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield to look at all the latest news and talking points from France. This week, we start off by looking at an important court case that could turn the tide of French politics for years to come. Judges will soon announce their decision regarding whether or not far-right Rassemblement National leader Marine Le Pen has been banned from standing in elections. We dive into her chances of being barred from standing in the 2027 presidential election, and what could happen if she is. You can listen to Talking France on Spotify or Apple, download HERE or listen on the link below Away from politics, we discuss the country's love for fast food and how McDonald's plans to conquer rural France, plus some of the backlash to this plan. Advertisement If you've ever ordered a Happy Meal in France, there's a chance it came with a little 'Asterix' figurine. We chat about the cultural importance of the hit comic book series 'Asterix and Obelix', and how it'll soon come to a screen near you. The Talking France team also looks at the rules around surrogacy in France, and how the country's strict ban on the practice compares to neighbouring nations. And finally, we discuss Ryanair's previous threats to pull out of France, as a result of increased taxes in the country's 2025 budget legislation. We give you the latest on the budget airline's services in France, and the changes that could be on the docket. Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of paying members of The Local - you can find out more about becoming a member here. Extra reading OPINION: Le Pen's future hangs in the balance, and France is heading for a messy constitutional row Asterix: Five things to know about France's favourite character McDonald's targets French villages with plans for 50 new outlets Reader question: Is McDonald's really healthier in France? What are France's rules on surrogacy? What happened Ryanair's threats to pull out of France over 'eco tax'?
