Harlequin: noun Typical character of the commedia dell'arte which appeared in the XNUMXth century in Italy, whose costume is made of multicolored diamonds.
Remains and rubbish of food from bourgeois houses and restaurants.
Formerly, a harlequin was a dish made up of pieces of various meats, rogatons sold in the markets, leftovers from the service of the big houses.
All kinds of detritus that restaurant cooks sell to market women in Les Halles. These pieces of debris are carefully sorted, and they turn them into assorted plates which the unfortunate can buy for a penny or two. This expression comes from the Harlequin coat, which is made of fabrics of different colors