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• Thread starter Thread starter Santanawinds
• Start date Start date Jun 20, 2013

S

Santanawinds

Senior Member

English - USA Hello! I have a question for native English speakers living in North America and in the UK about the word bonbon In the English language, can the word bonbon refer to any kind of sweets, such as hard candy, caramel, toffee, as well as chocolate sweets such as pralines? Is this a common word to use when referring to candy? Would a child know what a bonbon is? I am a native English speaker, but have been living in Eastern Europe for over twenty years, and here 'bonbon' basically means candy plus anything that is similar to candy, but am afraid that's not the case in the US and UK. Thanks!

Myridon

Senior Member

Texas English - US A bonbon in US English is a small candy coated in chocolate (a praline in US English (at least Southern US English) is not a chocolate). More often, these are just called "chocolates" (as in "Life is like a box of chocolates, ...") It's rather an old-fashioned word so I don't think a child would use it. There is a brand of small balls of ice cream coated in chocolate which are called Bon-Bons so a child would probably think you meant a small ice-cream treat. L

lucas-sp

Senior Member

English - Californian I think in AE "bonbons" are almost exclusively chocolate truffles: various semi-soft fillings (ganache, cream, jelly, caramel, or what Europeans call "praline") in a hard chocolate shell. It's not a common word; maybe divas and starlets get sent boxes of "bonbons" which they eat in the bath, but normal people probably just get candy or chocolates. Also note that in English we don't use "pralines" to refer to nut-and-chocolate-paste-filled truffles. That's strictly European. E

Embonpoint

Senior Member

Boston English--American I have actually not heard the word bonbon in the U.S. at all. I would be shocked if a child knew what it meant!

sdgraham

Senior Member

Oregon, USA USA English

Embonpoint said: I have actually not heard the word bonbon in the U.S. at all. I would be shocked if a child knew what it meant! Click to expand...

Funny, that, since I grew up with the word (Chicago area) "Bon bons" (two words) are quite familiar to those who visit U.S. candy shops, such as See's and Fannie May. E

Embonpoint

Senior Member

Boston English--American

sdgraham said: Funny, that, since I grew up with the word (Chicago area) "Bon bons" (two words) are quite familiar to those who visit U.S. candy shops, such as See's and Fannie May. Click to expand...

My embonpoint is clearly not from candy.

sound shift

Senior Member

Derby (central England) English - England "Bonbons" is not interchangeable with "sweets" in BrE. The term "bonbon" appears in the name of certain hard but not boiled sweets, and in the name of certain chocolates. What all bonbons have in common in UK parlance is a soft centre, I believe. Last edited: Jun 20, 2013 L

lilison

Senior Member

English - Canadian When I hear the word bonbons, I think of the same chocolate treats described above. I also think about housewives who "sit at home eating bonbons". That is the only context I have heard it in. (my children would not have a clue)

Bevj

Allegra Moderata (Sp/Eng, Cat)

Girona, Spain English (U.K.) I agree with sound shift: in BrE the two words are not interchangeable. To me, bonbons are chocolates and particularly the more expensive chocolates which come in a fancy box and are given as presents for special occasions.

JulianStuart

Senior Member

Sonoma County CA English (UK then US)

sound shift said: "Bonbons" is not interchangeable with "sweets" in BrE. The term "bonbon" appears in the name of certain hard but not boiled sweets, and in the name of certain chocolates. What all bonbons have in common in UK parlance is a soft centre, I believe. Click to expand...

I also grew up (in the UK) with that "hard outside, soft inside" sweet and it was referred to as a bonbon - by the makers of said confection at least. Here is a description of fruit bonbons from sweet-candy.com. There may have been others referred to as bonbons but I never had any Other uses of bonbon may simply reflect the idea that anything with a French name will sell well. B

boozer

Senior Member

Bulgaria Bulgarian Just like Santana, I have been living in Eastern Europe for long enough and I never thought 'bonbon' was English. Indeed, we call 'bonbon' any confectionery product made of sugar, chocolate, etc. that comes in a small enough piece to be taken in one bite [barring mouth size differences ]. When we need to describe the kind of 'bonbon' we usually say 'chocolate bonbon' or 'caramel bonbon' or 'jelly bonbon' the first time and then just keep saying 'bonbon'. When I speak of 'bonbons' in English I describe them as 'chocolates', if made of chocolate, and 'sweets'. I know words like pralines, toffees, jelly-babies etc., some of which, by the way, are already used in my language, but they are way too specific for my unspecific thinking. So ultimately I agree that there is no complete overlap in meaning between 'bonbons' and candies/sweets. It would never have occurred to me to say 'bonbon' in English. S

Santanawinds

Senior Member

English - USA Thank you! So basically, no bonbons for the kids! Now that some of you have mentioned it, I do now remember the correlation of the word bonbon with TV characters such as Al Bundy's wife. Boozer - we can continue the discussion of the differences in bonbon definitions in the South Slavic forum ... You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Bluesky LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

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