English-French translations for bread and circuses

• du pain et des jeux
  Les empereurs romains avaient, jadis, pour les plus pauvres, une devise : du pain et des jeux. The Roman Emperors used to have a formula for appeasing their poorest citizens: bread and circuses.
  Les représentants néerlandais au sein de l'Union ne souhaitent pas du pain et des jeux, ni un window dressing , mais des faits. The Dutch representatives in the European Union do not want bread and circuses or window-dressing but facts.
  Du pain et des jeux d’une part et, de l’autre, que chacun puisse dire et faire ce qu’il veut est une chose qui me semble incohérente. Bread and circuses on the one hand, and everyone on the other being able to do and say what they like is something I regard as inconsistent.

Definition of bread and circuses

• Food and entertainment provided by the state, particularly if intended to placate the people
• Grand spectacles stage#Verb|staged or statements made to distract and pacify people

Related words

• bread and butter
• bread and scrape
• bread and cheese
• bread and honey
• bread and milk
• bread and salt
• bread and water
• bread and wine
• never quarrel with your bread and butter