L’ardoise

Ardoise: Noun, feminine.

Ubiquitous in French life.

Meanings:

• Slate (building material found on rooftops and façades if you live in my area.)
• A small board surrounded by a wood trim where school children learned how to write and count, using chalk.
• A large board, used by restaurants to feature “les Plats du Jour” (Specials) … or special messages for their customers.
• In recent years, a way of displaying attractively an assortment of food, savory if served for “l’apéro” (and listed as a “Planche” on many menus) or sweet if served for dessert (“café gourmand” that is often more “gourmand” than “café.”)

You may ask: “l’ardoise, s’il vous plaît” in a restaurant to inquire about the day’s selection.

Whatever you do, do not say: “mon ardoise.” — You’d be implying you don’t want to pay and want the meal added to your tab.

Big faux pas. Huge.