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wheeny disco roles

English translation: cheesy

08:07 Apr 3, 2006
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Music
English term or phrase: wheeny disco roles
The movies I watched to get inspired for this video are “Perfect”, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and John Travolta, “Saturday Night Fever”, starring John Travolta and “Grease”, starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta.
I’ve got my *wheeny disco roles* working and I watched the movie like twenty times before we shot the video. And I hope that we’ve, you know, done it justice and done something that we’ve, you know, taken the old and made it new.

TIA,
Stefano
Stefano Asperti
Italy
Local time: 22:01
Selected answer:cheesy
Explanation:
Yes, probably should read weenie, which I understand in this context along the same lines as cheesy, nerdy etc.
Webster's gives one definition of weenie to be nerd, eg computer weenies. Also look in on-line urban dicos, they give this same meaning as well.
It's an insult kids use - I used to tell my brother to stop being a weenie when he was bugging me :-)
The movies he quotes are old disco classics, cheesy beyond cheesy! Perhaps the clip they're doing is a modern spoof on the old classic.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2006-04-03 11:19:14 GMT)
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Your added context does help! :-)
True, she is probably talking about small roles, but note that with weenie there is that added sense of belittling I touch on above. She's making fun of herself, talking about those piddling, cheesy disco roles she used to play herself or that she watched others play in the movies she mentions.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2006-04-03 12:06:53 GMT)
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No, the curls make sense. Madonna changed her hairstyle for this new album with a outward flip or roll, very 70s and disco.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2006-04-03 12:53:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

That's so Madonna - taking something like an old 70s hairstyle that is out of fashion (the outward curl) and making it the new rage, hence she's got them working again.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2006-04-04 07:45:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

idwerk's comment to Dusty gives a great explanation of the "I've got X working".

Is there any way of viewing the dialogues? That would be a huge help to you. She may make a hand gesture up towards her hair, for example, and then you would be certain she is talking about her hairdo.
Selected response from:

French Foodie
Local time: 22:01
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone! You were all so kind. I wish I could award the points to all of you, but I can't. Since the thing about the curls makes sense (and the client confirmed it, although they made some huge mistakes in the transcription, e.g. "neutral shop" instead of "noodle shop") and since it seems that Madonna makes a hand gesture (very faint though) towards her hair, I'll opt for this solution. Tony, you also proposed this translation and it was a difficult choice between you and Mara. In the end I chose Mara because she had added a note at 12:06:53 GMT). Anyway, my gratitude goes to everyone and each one of you. I hope I'll be able to return your favour. My turn next time ;-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +4experience of [playing] small disco characters
Dave Calderhead
3 +4cheesy
French Foodie
3 +3weeny disco rollers
Tony M
3 +1weenie disco rollERS
Kevin Kelly
3whiny
Kurt Porter
2disco rollers
Peter Enright


Discussion entries: 10





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
whiny


Explanation:
I think it's probably a typo for whiny..as in the youth depicted in the films are going through troubled times and a lot of angst...so the "whine" a lot. That is to say, complain. :)

Kurt Porter
Local time: 01:01
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: I have my doubts, Kurt! This sounds like a transcription, and I suspect it is more likely an aural error for 'weeny'; I'm also a bit suspicious of that 'rôles' /// :-))
12 mins
  -> Dusty, I concur...weeny was my second choice. I was going to include it in a note...but I didn't want to chicken out and be a weeny! :) :)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
experience of [playing] small disco characters


Explanation:
or playing small roles in disco scenes

I definiterly think the wheeny, should be weeny rather than whiny

To verify it might be worth checking out the CV of the vidoe clip director to see if he or she has a background as an extra or actor/dancer

Dave Calderhead
Netherlands
Local time: 22:01
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Isodynamia: This is what I first thought also. Good day!
54 mins
  -> Thanks, Constantina (:-{)> Good afternoon to you too!
agree  Michael Deliso: that's the right one to indicate "small" it should be "Weeny" http://www.wordreference.com/definition/weeny
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Michael (:-{)>
agree  RHELLER: my understanding would be weenie = small and role (not roll)-I sometimes wear my hair in a flip but I have never heard it called a roll
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Rita, (;-{)>
agree  Raging Dreamer
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Dreamer (:-{)>
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
weenie disco rollERS


Explanation:
I think she is referring to the smaller, petite roller skates they used to wear in discos years ago.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2006-04-03 11:59:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I believe she got out her old "disco" roller skates and got them working again for this recent video (which, by the way, is so pathetically bad that I'm amazed even someone like Madonna would not be profoundly embarrassed to release it).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2006-04-03 12:15:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OK, in light of the new information that the actual text says "rolls" I submit that she is referring to her "moves" on the rollerskates, or to the skates themselves, referring to them as "rolls" in the same way that one refers to a car as "wheels."

Kevin Kelly
Local time: 16:01
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kurt Porter: That's it!!!!
14 mins
  -> Thanks Kurt, I think it's at least almost right. See my new comment.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
weeny disco rollers


Explanation:
Like KK, I think it is an understandable mis-transcription of 'weeny disco rollers', but unlike Kevin, I think this is referring to small-diameter hair curlers (AKA rollers, at least by my older sisters)

Surely it means she dug out her old (and now out-of-fashion) tight curlers again --- didn't Madonna in her early disco years have a very tightly-waved hairstyle, almost reminiscent of the Roaring 'Twenties?

Tony M
France
Local time: 22:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  French Foodie: Yes! This is exactly what I am refering to in my note above. She is talking about the new hairstyle she is sporting for this clip/album, small 70s-style curls that flip outward around the face//No prob, I'm just happy some else understands it this way too
29 mins
  -> Thanks, Mara! Sorry, I didn't notice your added note at the time I posted.
agree  William [Bill] Gray: I think this is how I would understand this one as well.
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Bill!
agree  Lori Dendy-Molz: yes, I'd say "weenie disco rolls" -- it's the hairdo itself (rolls), not the "rollers" used to produce it//working=going for me/making me look good (odd American usage:-)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Idwerk! I wondered about that, except that curious "I've got...working"
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
disco rollers


Explanation:
Just a suggestion to throw further confusion upon the issue: I immediately thought of 'disco rollers' as in disco roller skates (from 'roller discos'). Bit obscure to say it without the word 'skates' one would perhaps think.


    Reference: http://www.tingtop.com.tw/Product-20021114142325.html
    Reference: http://naid.sppsr.ucla.edu/venice/mapsdocs/new-map10.htm
Peter Enright
Australia
Local time: 06:01
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
cheesy


Explanation:
Yes, probably should read weenie, which I understand in this context along the same lines as cheesy, nerdy etc.
Webster's gives one definition of weenie to be nerd, eg computer weenies. Also look in on-line urban dicos, they give this same meaning as well.
It's an insult kids use - I used to tell my brother to stop being a weenie when he was bugging me :-)
The movies he quotes are old disco classics, cheesy beyond cheesy! Perhaps the clip they're doing is a modern spoof on the old classic.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2006-04-03 11:19:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Your added context does help! :-)
True, she is probably talking about small roles, but note that with weenie there is that added sense of belittling I touch on above. She's making fun of herself, talking about those piddling, cheesy disco roles she used to play herself or that she watched others play in the movies she mentions.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2006-04-03 12:06:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

No, the curls make sense. Madonna changed her hairstyle for this new album with a outward flip or roll, very 70s and disco.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2006-04-03 12:53:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

That's so Madonna - taking something like an old 70s hairstyle that is out of fashion (the outward curl) and making it the new rage, hence she's got them working again.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2006-04-04 07:45:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

idwerk's comment to Dusty gives a great explanation of the "I've got X working".

Is there any way of viewing the dialogues? That would be a huge help to you. She may make a hand gesture up towards her hair, for example, and then you would be certain she is talking about her hairdo.

French Foodie
Local time: 22:01
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone! You were all so kind. I wish I could award the points to all of you, but I can't. Since the thing about the curls makes sense (and the client confirmed it, although they made some huge mistakes in the transcription, e.g. "neutral shop" instead of "noodle shop") and since it seems that Madonna makes a hand gesture (very faint though) towards her hair, I'll opt for this solution. Tony, you also proposed this translation and it was a difficult choice between you and Mara. In the end I chose Mara because she had added a note at 12:06:53 GMT). Anyway, my gratitude goes to everyone and each one of you. I hope I'll be able to return your favour. My turn next time ;-)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  MikeGarcia
1 min
  -> thanks Miguel
agree  Tony M: Hey, hey, not so much of the 'old' --- I was brought up on these super movies (!) But I think you're right, now we have a bit more context: "I psyched myself into 'cheesy disco mode'" // None taken! I'm just sad songs of my youth are now 'golden oldies'
21 mins
  -> No offence meant, Dusty! I watched and loved these movies growing up, too - and the cheesier they were the more I seemed to love them, hee hee.
agree  Lori Dendy-Molz: definitely talking about the 'do -- weenie disco rolls
4 hrs
  -> thanks idwerk, and your explanation of "I've got... working" is right on the money.
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
5 days
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