We have an ongoing battle with a web designer. Yesterday she sent an email that on it’s face was not logical.

My colleague replied that she was being illogical and backed it up with stats.

I sent an email to him saying that her response must be frustrating for him.

He responded:

S’ils n’ont plus de pain, qu’ils mangent de la brioche.

I tried to teach myself some French phrases a few years back, but the only thing I recognized was pain for bread.

So I responded, “If they don’t have bread, let them manage with jewelry?”

He responds asking if I have never had french pastry. I then recognized brioche as something I had see in boulangeries. (French bakeries)

I gave up and put the phrase in Babelfish. It translated If they do not have any more bread, that they eat brioche.

That was a big help. So he told me,

Babel Fish apparently apparently sees brioches as if you tried to translate
“Moon Pie”

He sends me to Wikipedia

That was close to crossing the line between smart person and smart ass.

I checked it out and of course, it’s, If they do not have any more bread, let them eat cake.

Well, duh, except all I’ve ever heard is “let them eat cake.” So I read the context found out that she may never have even said that, and to the contrary she wrote:

“It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness. The king seems to understand this truth; as for myself, I know that in my whole life (even if I live for a hundred years) I shall never forget the day of the coronation.”

I’ve seen her cottage in the country. If I didn’t have bread, I would have paid her a visit to along with my countrymen.

UPDATE: surfing last night, I came across this phrase Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat. Since Babelfish won’t translate Latin, I tested him,  he got it.  Replying that our local weather people would say  “Yep – shore is hot – like walkin’ thru a sauna.”