Food Words for Children

[Chris Amirault]

On a thread about labor snacks, a few of us have been writing about our kids and using food terms. For example, our Bebe, who arrived in the world at 5 lb 7 oz, has been called a "peanut" by just about everyone, and it is sticking (for now).

It got me to thinking about what other food words people use for their children. We're also wondering whether or not those nicknames are used in other countries and cultures.

So, please share your own food nicknames and any that you know from cultures other than your own!

[Milagai]

a typical tamil word for beloved child

is "sakkarai-katti" = sugar lump

milagai

[Marlene]

Ryan was "pumpkin" for the first 3 or 4 years of his life. Mostly because he was a little over 10lbs when he was born, and he had the roundest pumpkin face.

[snowangel]

Sweet pea.

[gourmande]

these were our endearing terms ... these work well in French but not in English

petit chou

translates as little cabbage

petit coco or beau coco (boy) petite cocotte or belle cocotte (girl)

translates as little or lovely egg... coco being "egg" in child speak. While coco can also mean the cocoa bean, it's the egg reference that applies to little ones

[Maison Rustique]

No kids, but names I call the cat:

Dumplin'

Sweetpea

Sugarplum

Chiclet

Spunky Monkey

In general I refer to children as chitlins.

[Curlz]

We've referred to my friend's daughter as "The Bean" since she was still in the belly...not even sure why, but I'll still ask "How's the Bean?"

[therese]

Dumpling, generally used in the third person: "Hey, babe, where are the dumplings?"

Pumpkin used in first person: "Pumpkin, you need to take out the trash now."

[Jujubee]

I signed myself up for one of those weekly pregnancy email updates. At about 6 weeks, the email said the baby was the size of a lentil. So my sister nicknamed the baby Lentil and it has stuck, even though I'm now at 19 weeks.

[jsolomon]

My brother gets a little pissed off when I call my nieces the "snack-sized adults"

I may have to start calling the four-year-old a jigger before too long.

[Mayhaw Man]

We called my oldest son "Goober" until he got to be taller than us. We have stopped now.

[Jennifer Brizzi]

My three-year-old daughter insists on "Jelly Bean." If we try to call her "Pooky" or "Punkin" or "Sweetie," she insists, "I'm Jelly Bean!"

Not sure where she got that one. There may be a few around the house this coming Sunday but we don't usually have them on hand.

[crouching tyler]

My niece-in-law is known as Manzie, short for Manzinita - spanish for little apple.

[Mooshmouse]

When Noah was first born, I called him Jellybean right from the get-go because, to me, he looked like a little jellybean all curled up in my arms. Shortened occasionally to Bean, Beanie or Noah Bean, and sometimes just plain B.

Once Noah reached the sitting-up stage at 5 months old, Ian started referring to him as his "little sack of potatoes" because, once again, that's what he looked like. A chubby little sack of potatoes. And heavy like one too!

And now I call him Pumpkin Pie.

[Bernaise]

the baby in my life is called "the p" in fact when she was officially registered there was a naming event to debate if "the p" should be included..hands down we all wanted to keep the p - lower case of course.

She is Madelaine p Byron (last name witheld for her privacy!)

[hjshorter]

Currently Emma is "Pumpkin Pie" and Ian is either "Chunky Monkey" or "Chunk-style".

[lesfen]

My mother calls my daughter 'Tater, or Sweet 'Tater, and her father's mother calls her Sweet Pea.

I call her Monkey Britches. I don't know why.

[Smithy]

Metamora recorded a fun song to one of their babies: "Little Potato".

My grandfather always called me half-pint. Not quite food, but food-related.

[Viola da gamba]

My father always called me "sausage" - no idea why - still does occasionally when he's feeling silly.

A friend called my niece "cookie-bum" for a while - again - no idea why.

[Milagai]

ps: i often call my kids "bumblimaas" a tamil (via pondicherry) take on the

french "pamplemousse" (some kind of grapefruit?)

this is a popular semi-affectionate cuss word in tamil.

milagai

[Oat Cake]

Treacle

Plum Duff

[maggiethecat]

Not my first choices for the plat de jour, but my nicknames for my daughter are still food: Turtle and Turtledove.

My Granddad called me his little Sugarplum.

[hazardnc]

My big sister called me "mullet head"

Is that food?

[mizducky]

At some point in our childhoods, my little brother got into teasingly calling me "Ellen Ellen Watermelon." I hated it.

It was in college when the nickname "Ducky" was hung on me. My brother was actually responsible for that one too. I liked it a helluva lot more than his previous effort, and that nickname in some form or other has stuck to me ever since. And yes, I am a figurative cannibal in that I adore duck. (Hmmm ... overdue for a roast duckling adventure ... have to see about rectifying that ... )

Off on a tangent: the family lore is that my very first spoken words were "apple pie" ... closely followed by "pizza pie." Food fascination obviously started way early.

[phaelon56]

My dad was a big Shari Lewis fan - he called me "lamb chop" when I was very young and "pork chop" as I got a bit older.