Are you the second table’s plate? Or the main course?

Now that Valentine’s Day is coming up, I figured this idiom would be fitting. I’m hoping all of you are main courses! In Español, they say that somebody is “un plato de segunda mesa” (the second table’s plate) or, “el plato principal” (the main course). Basically, “un plato de segunda mesa” means that you come in second after somebody else. This can be used in all kinds of contexts, whether it be in school, religion, politics, a sports team, etc, but it most often used to describe a romantic situation. If Jenny and Sasha are competing for Adam’s affections, and Adam prefers Jenny, Sasha is the second table’s plate.

We have a similar idiom: to play second fiddle. Sasha is playing second fiddle too.

The English idiom makes more sense to me. I picture an orchestra or quartet or something of the sort, and can picture the two fiddle (or violin or whatever you picture) players. One gets to play the higher, better, melody while the other one is stuck playing the harmony, the whole time jealous of the fiddler playing the first part. That’s basically how Sasha and Jenny’s relationship is. Sasha can’t even enjoy her part because she’s so jealous of Jenny’s.

The Spanish idiom goes along the same lines, but it is a little harder for me to understand, probably just because I have been exposed to the English one for my whole life, and was just introduced to the Spanish one. This may not be completely correct, but I kind of ended up relating it to leftovers. Everybody eats the first time together in the dining room, and then somebody comes home late and has to eat leftovers in the kitchen by him/herself. Or maybe, we could think of it historically, where the help ate in the kitchen on a second table. Either way, the first table is definitely preferable.

Anybody else have any ideas?

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6 Responses to Are you the second table’s plate? Or the main course?

  1. Danny Magerman says:

    Second fiddle. English is so cultured.
    Second table’s plate. Spanish seems preoccupied with food. It’s a little crude, but I’m pretty sure this translates to “sloppy seconds”…
    gross.

  2. blf5193 says:

    I enjoy hearing about etymology, word origins, and meanings. I had never come across either of these sayings, but “playing second fiddle” certainly is pretty intuitive. Even before your explanation, I immediately thought of a band when less experienced members would play second or third parts for their instruments. It makes one wonder just how much subterfuge and politicking went on between orchestra members for this to enter the language as an idiom implying a general sense of subordination.

  3. ayp5187 says:

    What a depressing saying! I actually have never heard the English one either, but it does make more sense to me than the Spanish one. I can understand the main course part because everyone wants to be the main course. It gets the most attention, and is usually what everyone comes to the dinner for. But the second table’s plate? Wouldn’t the second table get the same food as the first table? It makes me think of family functions where there is an adult table and a kids table. I personally am probably going to be stuck at the kids table for the rest of my life considering there is no more room at the adult table, so I hope that doesn’t mean I’m a second table’s plate at family functions!

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