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I’m looking for the nickname actress Erin Moran (Joanie) was given in the TV series “Happy Days”.

In the Italian version she was called “sottiletta” but I can’t find the original nickname.

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Gio
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  • Do you mean the nickname of the actress herself, or the nickname of the character she was playing? The second one would be on-topic, the first one would not be. – F1Krazy Aug 06 '20 at 21:35
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    The second one. Fonzie always referred to her as “sottiletta”. – Gio Aug 06 '20 at 21:35

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According to Wikipedia, Fonzie's nickname for Joanie in the original English-language version of the show was "Shortcake". Shortcake is very sweet and delicate, so presumably, by calling her that, Fonzie was ascribing those qualities to Joanie.

Incidentally, a quick Google search tells me that "sottiletta" is an Italian term for processed cheese slices. Doesn't seem like the most accurate translation to me.

F1Krazy
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    I don't think the translation is all that bad. As a nickname "shortcake" also references how short Joanie is. It seems that '-etta' is a suffix used in Italian to indicate a smaller than usual version of something and 'sottile' can mean 'slender'. So it's purely a reference to her size and the connection to the cheese product adds a little humour. Nicknames don't need to be accurate in every respect (see 'half-pint' from Little House on the Prairie) and there might not be an option that combines both the reference to small size and sweetness in Italian. – Eric Nolan Aug 07 '20 at 11:34