bistro

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Translations 1.4 See also 1.5 Anagrams 2 French 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Pronunciation 2.3 Noun 2.4 References 3 Italian 3.1 Noun 3.2 Verb 3.3 Verb 4 Serbo-Croatian 4.1 Etymology 4.2 Noun 4.2.1 Declension

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From the French bistro(t) with the original meaning "proprietor of a tavern". Attested from c. 1920.

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈbiː.stɹəʊ/
• (US) IPA: /ˈbiː.stɹoʊ/

[edit] Noun

bistro (plural bistros)

1. A small European-style restaurant.
2. A small bar or pub.

[edit] Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:pub

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• fast food

[edit] Anagrams

• Alphagram: biorst
• orbits

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[edit] French

[edit] Etymology

The etymology is unclear, and is presumed to come from a regional word: bistro, bistrot, bistingo, or bistraud, a word in the Poitou dialect which means a "lesser servant." Another offered is bistouille or bistrouille, a colloquial term from the northern area of France,^[1] which is a mixture of brandy and coffee; precisely the kind of beverage that could be served at a bistro. The first recorded use of the word appears in 1884,^[2], and again in 1892 ("bistrot").

A popular folk etymology of the word claims that it originated among Russian troops who occupied Paris following the Napoleonic wars. In taverns they would shout the Russian быстро (bistro, "quickly") to the waiters, so that "bistro" took on the meaning of a place where food was served quickly.^[3] This etymology is rejected, due to the 69 year gap between the proposed origin and the first attestation. In Russia restaurants are not traditionally called bistros, and the concept of the fast-serving restaurant as used in Russian is seen as a French import, unrelated to the supposed Russian origin.

[edit] Pronunciation

•  Audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

bistro

1. bistro

[edit] References

• Notes:

1. ^ Glenn Randall Mack, Asele Surina. Food Culture In Russia And Central Asia. ISBN 0313327734. Page 154.
2. ^ Robert K. Barnhart. The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology. ISBN 0824207459. Page 94.
3. ^ Scarborough, Jack. The Origins of Cultural Differences and Their Impact on Management. ISBN 1567201237. Page 172; Joseph, Nadine. Passport France. World Trade Press, 1997. Page 84.

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[edit] Italian

[edit] Noun

bistro m. (plural bistri)

1. bistre

[edit] Verb

bistro

1. First-person singular present tense of bistrare.

[edit] Verb

bistro

1. First-person singular present tense of bistrare.

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[edit] Serbo-Croatian

[edit] Etymology

From French bistro.

[edit] Noun

bìstrō m. (Cyrillic spelling бѝстро̄)

1. bistro

[edit] Declension