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I'm translating a short story into English.

1). The protagonist is a woman in her mid-forties. There was a time when she used to copy out verses from poems and paste them on her wall. The people in her office used to call her 'a young girl of literary interests'. I'm trying to think of a short nickname that people would use in real life.

The context where I have to use this nickname is as follows:

She too had taken pains to decorate her cubicle when the cubicle system had been newly introduced into the office. One of her responsibilities in the female employee committee at the company she worked at some twenty years ago was to put up maxims or poetic verses in the office toilet and elevator. She would copy out lines like “The wind is rising! . . . We must try to live!”, or “How beautiful the sight of one who walks away, knowing when it’s time to leave.” and decorate them with pretty sketches. You could not tell what came before or after the portions quoted. In her new cubicle, she would remember those days and browse through anthologies every week. She would pick out poems and try to read them till the end. She would also copy the verses onto a piece of paper and decorate them by sketching in the margins or pasting leaves. People called her 'literary girl' then.

2). The closest friend of the above mentioned protagonist is a woman who is also in her mid-to-late forties. She is sort of fat/chubby. She uses a handle for herself in chat that means 'plump'. One nickname I have thought of because it is related to 'plump babies' is 'Chubby-Chops' but I'm afraid that this might sound too British. Are there any more commonly used nicks in place of 'chubby-chops'?

Any ideas, on what a plump woman in her mid-forties would use as chat handle. It has to be related to her 'plumpness' and should sound cute and NOT be offensive.

Three-way collision on Yeouido interchange. Took me an hour slipping out. I’m pooped.

‘Chubby-chops’ had come online. It was Choi from the next cubicle.

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  • Aside from whether "Chubby-Chops" is too British, I find it unrealistic and frankly off-putting. To the point where I would stop reading the story. Do you know any plump women in their mid-forties who would give themselves such an online handle? Apr 7, 2013 at 21:11
  • @LaurenIpsum I myself am not sure about the handle, Which is why I'm asking for suggestions. I can't think of anything else. :(
    – Soulz
    Apr 7, 2013 at 23:37
  • How about 'pudgy fudgy' or 'jelly beans'? (though I have no clue why these nicknames are used for 'plump' women)
    – Soulz
    Apr 8, 2013 at 0:00
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    I'm sorry to say that asking for suggestions like this is, essentially, starting a discussion, which is a kind of question that doesn't work well on Stack Exchange sites. You may want to familiarize yourself with our FAQ, particularly this section, to get more of an idea why. You might get better results by brainstorming about this in chat, or in a conventional discussion forum. Apr 8, 2013 at 1:40

1 Answer 1

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I don't know of any women willing to adopt a nickname that calls attention to their being overweight. For one thing, most such nicknames are pejorative or uncomplimentary. For another, many women believe that being overweight is unlikely to improve their public image. Hence an overtly-fat-sounding nickname may lend implausibility to the story, translation or not, unless you indicate that it takes place in a culture where it is positive to be fat.

You might consider Roly Poly, which is less negative than some other names. Also consider Big Mama, a nickname used positively by Josephine Joseph and by Willie Mae Thornton. I'd say the image of Big Momma is less positive.

Some people use the terms Amazonian and Junoesque to describe large women, so Amazon and Juno are possible nicknames. (1,2,3,4,5)

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  • Thank you! Roly Poly sounds like a safe bet. I had no idea this is nickname issue would turn out to be such a quagmire.
    – Soulz
    Apr 8, 2013 at 10:02
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    Although Amazonian often refers to a tall woman with a sturdy and dense build, Junoesque is often used to counter the belief that a so–called plump woman is overweight, when in fact she is not but simply not dainty. Feb 8, 2018 at 6:54

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