Twinkletoes

From a conversation when a wife wants her husband to put some money under their daughter's pilow - she has lost a tooth - to prove the existence of the tooth fairy:-
12.30am Karl stirs, so I guess he is sort of awake...
Me: Go on twinkletoes...
Me a few minutes later: Hello, didn't you hear me?
Him: What?
Me: I said you could go and do your twinkletoes duty now...
Him: Oh, I thought you were talking in your sleep again.
Me: Yeah right, like I would use 'twinkletoes' as a term of endearment while poking you in the ribs.
Can someone translate this snippet of conversation for me? 'Twinkletoes' is a not uncommon term of endearment from one close family member to another. Thanks!:cheek:

Do you mean "go on twinkletoes", as in "go on foot", or "go on, twinkletoes", as in "go on, darling"?

Sorry about the punctuation: it was in the original. It means "go on, darling"? Thanks! However the first sense is perfectly possible in the context. See http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/54/messages/898.html. Despite the reference to gays, it can be, and is, used as a jocular endearment.:) See Roy Orbison's song lyrics with 'gay' used in its older meaning. In the song he changes from one meaning to the other.

Are we looking for a term that may be used as a compliment for a dancer that could also refer to a gay person and at the same time be a term of endearment between wife and husband? Or something with a wider application than that?

Anyway, one suggestion would be φτεροπόδαρος, someone nimble on his feet, often used for Hermes (Mercury).
Another one would be πεταχτούλης.

I'd probably use the latter in your dialogue.

Άντε, μπαλαρίνε μου, πάρ' τα τρυφερά ποδαράκια σου και πήγαινε να δεις το παιδί (ας πούμε...)

nickel said:

Are we looking for a term that may be used as a compliment for a dancer that could also refer to a gay person and at the same time be a term of endearment between wife and husband? Or something with a wider application than that?

Anyway, one suggestion would be φτεροπόδαρος, someone nimble on his feet, often used for Hermes (Mercury).
Another one would be πεταχτούλης.

I'd probably use the latter in your dialogue.

Click to expand...

Me too. «Πεταχτούλης» combines references to light-footed, to gay, and to πετάξου (να δεις το παιδί και να κάνεις τη νεραϊδοντούλα).

Btw, if not on tooth fairy duty, I've heard couples call parent night shift «γερμανικό» (νούμερο), especially for babies waking up in the middle of the night. I'd say the husband in this case played possum, trying to skip duty by fair means or foul.

Another option might be αλαφροπάτητος, though it wouldn't probably be used as a term of endearment.

Theseus said:

[...]
12.30am Karl stirs, so I guess he is sort of awake...
Me: Go on twinkletoes...
Me a few minutes later: Hello, didn't you hear me?
Him: What?
Me: I said you could go and do your twinkletoes duty now...
Him: Oh, I thought you were talking in your sleep again.
Me: Yeah right, like I would use 'twinkletoes' as a term of endearment while poking you in the ribs.
Can someone translate this snippet of conversation for me? 'Twinkletoes' is a not uncommon term of endearment from one close family member to another. Thanks!:cheek:

Click to expand...

12:30 π.μ. Ο Καρλ σαλεύει, άρα μάλλον θα 'χει χαζοξυπνήσει...
Εγώ: Σήκω, νεραϊδούλα...
Εγώ, λίγα λεπτά αργότερα: Ε, δε μ' άκουσες;
Εκείνος (μαχμουρλίδικα): Τι;
Εγώ: Είπα να πας για το καθήκον της νεραϊδούλας τώρα...
Εκείνος: Α, νόμιζα πως παραμιλούσες στον ύπνο σου πάλι.
Εγώ: Ναι, καλά, λες και θα σ' έλεγα χαϊδευτικά «νεραϊδούλα» την ώρα που σε σκουντάω στα πλευρά.

I'm translating a similar couple-in-bed scene right now, so I'm in the mood.
Go on, rip it apart, it's an exercise. :)

daeman said:

12:30 π.μ. Ο Καρλ σαλεύει, άρα μάλλον θα 'χει χαζοξυπνήσει...
Εγώ: Σήκω, νεραϊδούλα...
Εγώ, λίγα λεπτά αργότερα: Ε, δε μ' άκουσες;
Εκείνος (μαχμουρλίδικα): Τι;
Εγώ: Είπα να πας για το καθήκον της νεραϊδούλας τώρα...
Εκείνος: Α, νόμιζα πως παραμιλούσες στον ύπνο σου πάλι.
Εγώ: Ναι, καλά, λες και θα σ' έλεγα χαϊδευτικά «νεραϊδούλα» την ώρα που σε σκουντάω στα πλευρά.

I'm translating a similar couple-in-bed scene right now, so I'm in the mood.
Go on, rip it apart, it's an exercise. :)

Click to expand...

Here comes the ripping-apart, hehe (as an exercise,of course! ;) )

12:30 Ο Καρλ αναδεύεται, μάλλον έχει μισοξυπνήσει
Εγώ: Έλα, Αλαφροπάτητέ μου*, σήκω.
........................
Εγώ, μερικά λεπτά πιο ύστερα: Ε! Δεν ακούς;
Εκείνος: Εχμ; Τι;
Εγώ: Σήκω, λέω. Ώρα να πας να κάνεις αυτό που είπαμε, σαν καλός μπαμπάκας.
Εκείνος: Α! Νόμιζα πως μιλούσες πάλι στον ύπνο σου.
Εγώ: Ναι! Και θα σ' έλεγα Αλαφροπάτητο σκουντώντας σε στα πλευρά!

Well, not exactry a ripping-apart, eh? ;);):twit:

*Ως ήρως σύγχρονου παραμυθιού, πιστεύω πως είναι γνωστός σε όσους έχουν παιδιά ;) Talking about a serious** black character

**(sic)