https://www.proz.com/kudoz/norwegian-to-english/slang/4322743-sm%C3%A5feit.html
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brus
innsparingen (in this context)
Apr 15, 2011 19:26
13 yrs ago
Norwegian term

Småfeit

Norwegian to English Art/Literary Slang
Prøver å finne et engelsk (amerikansk) adjektiv som beskriver dette spesielle uttrykket. Er ikke på utkikk etter "chubby" eller "plump", men et uttrykk som er like negativt ladet som originalen.

Forslag?
Proposed translations (English)
3 a bit of a porker
5 +2 Pudgy
5 chubby
4 pot-bellied
4 baby fat
3 chunky
3 -1 Rubenesque
Change log

Apr 15, 2011 20:43: Egil Presttun changed "Language pair" from "Norwegian (Bokmal) to English" to "Norwegian to English"

Discussion

trsk2000 (X) Apr 15, 2011:
see my answer too, but... **my suggestion still stands, but I was thinking that you can use one of the synonyms suggested and form the commonly heard construction thus; i.e. "she's a little bit on the chunky side", thereby conveying the idea of "små" and using a sentence understood by an American English target readership (also added to answer)
Karin Berling (asker) Apr 15, 2011:
Not just looking for standard synonyms Thanks for the suggestions so far. I know there are several options, Jeffrey, but I am not looking for plain descriptions like chubby. I am really looking for a "similar" term that to some degree captures the odd expression that results from the combination of "små" + "feit". Something with a negative connotation, but still colorful. Pot-bellied might work.

Proposed translations

1 day 6 hrs
Selected

a bit of a porker

Definitely a negative description commonly used for humans (of either gender) and animals.
Example sentence:

"I've always been a bit of a porker. In school I was the chubby kid and I took the teasing in my stride."

"Sultry Sharon Gless confesses that she was a bit of a porker as a teen and her nickname was Moby Dick. The Cagney & Lacey beauty now works out."

Reference:

http://www.yellow-llama.com/my-personal-transformation/

http://books.google.ca/books?id=ge0DAAAAMBAJ

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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "This was definitely the most colorful suggestion. Thanks!"
38 mins

pot-bellied

"Småfeit" is used at the link below in a manner that suggests this possibility. "Pot-bellied" is even more negative than "paunchy" and "tubby", I think, and it can be used for both men and women. But I'd only call a woman "pot-bellied" with a good-sized head start . . . ;-)
Reference:

http://forum.snartmamma.com/showthread.php?t=298846

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1 hr

chubby

chunky flabby plump portly pudgy tubby...
many ways to say this in Inglish!
Peer comment(s):
agree alexandratheres
5 mins
disagree Anne : Chubby is "lubben", which is more positive than "småfeit"
1 hr
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-1
3 hrs

Rubenesque

:o)
Peer comment(s):
disagree Charles Ek : This one's usually used approvingly, not with a negative connotation. Charlesp -- Karin is in fact looking for something negative, which "Rubenesque" is typically not.
32 mins
agree Charlesp : Isn't that what the asker is asking? (referring to the disagree and comment above).
1 day 19 hrs
disagree Anne : Doesn't really capture the intended insult of "småfeit"..
3 days 10 hrs
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14 mins

chunky

en mulighet, synes jeg..

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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-04-15 22:37:06 GMT)
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**my suggestion still stands, but I was thinking that you can use of the synonyms suggested and form the commonly heard construction thus; i.e. "she's a little bit on the chunky side", thereby conveying the idea of "små" and using a sentence understood by an American English target readership (also added to discussion)
Example sentence:

The soprano was a chunky girl from California

Reference:

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/thesaurus/words+meaning+overweight,+fat.html

http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/chunky

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+2
3 hrs

Pudgy

Avoids the "cuddly" notion and captures the negative connotations.
Peer comment(s):
agree Per Bergvall
5 hrs
agree Donna Stevens
11 hrs
disagree Charlesp : nah, I wouldn't think so.
1 day 19 hrs
Could you elaborate on the disagreement?
agree Fantasia Translations
9 days
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3 days 10 hrs

baby fat

e.g. xyz lost their baby fat.

He/she has a bit of baby fat.
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