What do we call the young ones in our life.
In English and Spanish there are a lot of ways to refer to the young ones in our lives.
Please post a word in either English or Spanish.
I'm betting there are more Spanish words than English ones. But I may be surprised.
I have a couple of non-standard ones that I will use to start us out. But first this is for fun so don't be judgemental.
Pulga = Flea
Garrapata = Tick
The family uses both of these to describe the two year old in the house as she is always glued to my arms.
One more....Changuita...my little monkey.
38 Answers
pequeño hombre = little man
bola de mantequilla = butterball
Note: Butterball is used for a little girl who is very plump (gorda).
Some informal English ones. There are many more
Brat an annoying child who behaves badly
Crybaby someone who cries too much, especially a child
Devil someone who does not behave very well, especially a child. You usually use this word when you are not really angry with the person
Fidget someone, especially a child, who fidgets a lot
Kid a young adult
Kid a child
Kiddie a very young child
Kiddy another spelling of kiddie
Little’n little one
Mite a young child or animal, especially one that you feel sorry for
Monkey someone, especially a child who behaves badly but in a funny way rather than in an annoying way
Monster a child who behaves badly
Munchkin a nice friendly small child
Nipper a small child
Pest someone who keeps annoying you, especially a child
Rascal a child who behaves badly but who you like too much to be angry with
rug rat a very young child, especially one that has started to crawl (=move along the ground)
scalawag someone, especially a child, who behaves badly but is difficult to dislike
scamp someone, especially a child, who behaves badly but is difficult to dislike
scrap a very small thin person, often a child
small fry very young children
sprogs young children
tattle-tale a child who tells an adult about something bad that another child has done. This word shows that you dislike someone who does this.
teen a teenager
teenybopper a young teenager, especially a girl, who is enthusiastic about the latest fashions, movies, and music for her age group
telltale a tattle-tale
tike another spelling of tyke
tinker a young child who behaves badly
tot a small child
In English, sweet terms are usually used for young girls. After all, girls are made of sugar and spice, and all things nice! So here are the sweet words: honeybun, pumpkin pie, cherry pie, ...
We've always called our daughters 'tootie-pie' when they were little. Now I call our little dog 'puppy-pie'.
We started calling our youngest daughter Heather-Feather as a baby, and still do even though she's 19 now and she doesn't seem to mind. Her pals back in Scotland started calling her McFeather, and that name has stuck all these years (but only with her friends).
Back in Scotland, a person would call their child a wee toe-rag if they were being a rascal. A wee bairn is a 'little baby' but people call their children bairns until they are out of primary school (elementary school).
Two of the words that I remember from my time in Argentina and from my Chilean host family are pibe/piba and pitufo (which also means smurf!).
Okay this one is for Annie. Rug Rats. How many rug rats do you have? ¿Cuántos rug rats tiene Ud.?
When they are allowed to misbehave in a restaurant, I call them a pain in the behind.
Cuando les están permitido presentar mal comportamiento en un restaurante, les llamo un dolor en la culata.
Okay, here are a few more in Spanish:
- Muchacho/a
- Chico/a
- Chamaco/a
- Joven
In English:
- Brats
- Little Monsters
- Snot-nosed (rodneyp inspired)
Come on! Give me some more.
Spanish speakers also say "guagua" in some places which comes from the sound of a crying baby. Los hispanohablantes tambien dicen guagua en algunos lugares - lo que viene del sonido de un bebé que llora.
In Colombia an "ornery little cuss" is called "un mamón". I think the term is used in Chile for a "momma's boy", but in Mexico it will get you punched in the nose! England and the US use different terms and one would not be able to translate them all. I love the way women (at least in Colombia) call their sons "Papi" just as they do their husbands and fathers, so "Daddy" would not be appropriate as a translation into English although that is the correct sense of the word. One of my nieces calls her daughter "Wissy" presumably from "Missy-Wissy". I love that!
Due to having an unfortunate surname mine suffered from being called '' ratters'' in school.
Mi rey/reina Mi vida Mi cariño
Curtain Climber
I called my daughter " Honeybutterbisquitbutt" and my son "Nutty".
ankle-biter, whippersnapper, peanut, toddler
