MovieChat Forums > Photographing Fairies (1997) Discussion > The drinking ritual

The drinking ritual

posted 19 years ago by rodental
11 replies | jump to latest

When Charles and his assistant are working in the trenches, we see them having a drink. They say something before drinking, sort of ritually, that sounds either like dutch or garbled german (I can't tell - I'm danish... ^_^)
Charles says something like "Ish [ich?] ka Bibble" and his assistant answers with something slightly longer.
The subtitled version I saw six years ago didn't have the phrase translated or even mentioned, and it's been bugging me ever since.
Does anyone here know what they are saying, what language it is and/or what it means?

There is no Emoticon for what I am feeling..!

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rodental 19 years ago

Thanks!
Now I just need to figure out what the "answer" part was...

There is no Emoticon for what I am feeling..!

[–] egads 19 years ago

Charles toast: "Ich Gabibble"

"The song was Isch Gabibble (I Should Worry), words by Sam M. Lewis, music by George W. Meyer, dated 1913."

http://www.os-experts.com/news/world-wide-words-2.html

http://www.word-detective.com/030600.html#ishkabibble

His assistant's response I'm less sure of, but my current best guess is

"sans Perrier" (no water, i.e., they are quaffing their liquor neat...)

apparently, bottled spring water associated with the name 'Perrier' was available as early as the 1890's so the timelines work out for both guesses as mordant toasts...

[–] rodental 19 years ago

Brilliant! Thanks ever so much.
It seems they could just be paraphrasing the song:
"I never care or worry" could be what the assistant replies.
"sans Perrier" has the right ring, but I remember the "reply" as being longer.

There is no Emoticon for what I am feeling..!

[–] grimjimc 19 years ago

My guess would be that his assistant says, "San fairy Ann", which was a common saying for British soldiers in the First World War. It's from the French "Ca ne fait rien" (I believe), which means, effectively, "It doesn't matter".
Of course, the use of the word "fairy" makes it just that little bit more fitting...

[–] egads 19 years ago

Fantastic. Just watched that scene again, and your guess sounds spot on (and much less strained than mine).

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-san1.htm

[–] rodental 19 years ago

Brilliant!
I never would have figured that out.

There is no Emoticon for what I am feeling..!

[–] themikkster-1 19 years ago

Charles' assistant (played by the excellent Phil Davis) says 'san ferry ann', an English corruption of the French ca n'est fait rien (it doesn't matter) popular during the First World War.

Cheers

Michael film bore

[–] chobar 19 years ago

No, I'm sure it was "San Fairy Ann", as grimjimc suggested. Because (a) that's what it sounded like to me, (b) that's the more common form of the saying, and (c) it has the ever-so-cunning reference to fairies in it. What would be the point of a ferry reference?

[–] towen85 19 years ago

I didn't know of this film before tonight.
I expected a simple reworking of the true story.
Wow, how wrong could I be, fabulous film
According to the subtitles the assistant does say "ca n'est fait rien"

[–] 19 years ago

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