French to English – Glossary of Doll Collecting Abbreviations, Terms or Words Explained

Automata Doll – musical, mechanical dolls
Baigneur – bathing doll
Bébé – child, dolly faced doll
Bébé Culotte – diaper baby doll
Bébé Dormeur – sleeping baby doll
Bébé Gigoteur – mechanical crying, kicking doll by J. Steiner
Bébé Incassable – unbreakable (bisque head) doll
Bébé l’ Avenir – doll of future, also Puppe der Zukunft (Ger)
Bébé Parlant Automatique – automatic talking baby doll
Binocles – opera glasses
Boite à shapeau – hat box
Brevté, Bté. – registered patent, patented, see also S.G.D.G.
Buvard – writing case
Caduceus – symbol of a winged staff with intertwined snakes, – see Jules N. Steiner symbol
Cartes de bureau – business cards
Cartes de toilette – social cards
Carton Pâte – type of papier mâché body
Carton Moulé – type of French papier mâché 1700s-1800s
Cerceau – hoop
Chapeau – hat
Cie – Compagnie abbreviation, Company
Clauderies – a waddling or swaying mechanical doll
Clouee – clothing stitched to dolls kid body
Complet costume sur mesure – tailor made man’s suit
Corde à sauter – jump rope
Courroies pour châles et waterproofs – straps for rain covers
Craveches – horse whip
Cymbalier – doll that moves by a bellow pressure mechanism
DEP, D.E.P. – registered design, abrv. for déposé, depose
Damier – checker board
Démêloirs – large hair comb
Des Bas – stockings
Des Bottines – boots
Empress Poppaea Sabina of Rome – supposed origin of the French word Poupée doll
Epinglé à cheveux – hairpins
Eventails – fans
Gants peau et fil – leather gloves
Garder – sculptor
Gentille Poupée – pretty doll
Hauteur – height
Heavy Brows – usually sign of a French bisque head doll
Jarretières – garters
Je Dors – I sleep
Je Fais DoDo – childish French for I sleep; found on French doll labels
Je marche – I walk
Je parle – I speak (mama, papa or both voices)
Je suis tout en bois – I am all wood
J`envoi des baisers – I throw kisses
Jeu de nain jaune – miniature card game
Jouet – toy

L’Aiglon – The eagle
L’ Intrepide Bébé – mechanical walking doll
Lunettes, lorgnons – eyeglasses, lorgnette
Lutin – goblin
Malles pour poupée – trunk for a fashion doll
Malles pour trousseaux – trunk for trousseau
Marionette – little Mary, figure of the Virgin Mary
Marottes, Folies – musical doll head on a stick
Marqué, Marqué Déposé – mark, registered mark
Medaille D’Or – gold medal winner
Médallion – locket
Mignonette doll – small pocket size doll
Modistes Model doll –  Milliners Model doll, doll for modeling clothing fashions
Montres avec chaîne – watch and chain
Moufle – mittens
Ombrelle et parasol – umbrella and parasol
Ondine – swimming doll, also a German used term
Pandores doll – 1300-1800s wood or wax French fashion manikin doll
Grandes Pandores doll – large, life size fashion manikin doll
Paniers de voyage – baskets for travel
Pantoufles – slippers
Papeterie – stationary
Peignes à chignons – combs with trim
Pied ou support pour la poupée – vintage doll stand
Perruque – wig
Plastolite – plastic paste 1917 trademark by L. Roger Gault
Polichinelle, Punchinello, Punch – clown puppet
Porcelainite – unbreakable Mignonette by Les Arts Du Papier
Poupard – baby doll without legs in swaddling clothes
Poupée – French word for doll from Latin pupa
Poupée Chiffon – cloth doll
Poupée de Mode – Lady doll of fashion
Poupée Peau – doll with leather skin (body)
Poupon – infant baby doll
Prialytine – type of composition & celluloid by L’Oncle Hansi
Rhodoid – a type of celluloid used by Raynal
SGDG – Sans Garantie Du Governement = a registered patent without government guarantee
Sacs à ouvrage – work bag
Santons – saint doll or figure, religious
Ste – Jules Nicholas Steiner abbreviation
Souliers – shoes
Taille – size
Tête – head
Tête d’Aigle – eagle head
Un chapeau – a hat
Un jupon – a petticoat
Un pantalon – a pair of drawers, panties
Une chemise – a shirt, vest, slip like undergarment
Vivandière – Franco Prussian War of 1870 nurse doll
Vve – abbreviation for a widow
Wimpern – eyelashes