# Slang in English, Hebrew, and other languages: floppy/flabby flesh hanging from your upper arm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722 "2016-06-29T17:35:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/1 "2016-06-29T17:35:00Z")
See query. It’s usually pointed out with (mock) despair by women, often at the same time as pointing out their signs-of-aging folds of skin under their chin:"[Turkey] wattles." 1. I can’t remember what the floppy arm skin is jokingly called in English; I just learned in Israel/Hebrew they’re called “salt and pepper,” which baffled me until she illustrated shaking two shakers with dramatic result on that part of each arm. 1a. Any contributions from other languages/places? 1. Do other languages use “wattles” for those tell-tale skin folds under the chin? That one seems more likely to be universal… ---
**Author:** ![lilihob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@lilihob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilihob)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/2 "2016-06-29T17:51:03Z")
We call them bingo wings. As in, when a lady of a certain age, wins a game of bingo, she shouts “bingo!”, waving her card in the air. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/3 "2016-06-29T17:54:16Z")
I’ve heard “batwings.” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/4 "2016-06-29T19:52:00Z")
Floppy arm skin? Oh you mean hi helens. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/5 "2016-06-29T20:10:39Z")
Flub. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/6 "2016-06-29T20:36:38Z")
In Spain I’ve heard _alerones_ (flaps, as in planes) and _cortinillas_ (the fixed band at the top of a set of curtains, think for example of a theater). _Alerones_ can also refer to the arm itself when someone is windmilling (_¡esos alerones!_ - lit. “those flaps”, actually “careful with the windmilling”). Extra chins are _[papadas](http://dle.rae.es/?id=Rl8tb7T)_, from _[papo](http://dle.rae.es/?id=Ro44vjM%7CRo4inQ1%7CRo4izPP)_, meaning chubby face or cheek (or again but nowadays you’ll only hear it in nature documentaries, bag or folds of skin under the neck). Not slang. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/7 "2016-06-29T20:48:14Z")
Chicken skin. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/8 "2016-06-29T21:24:47Z")
Arm wattles. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/9 "2016-06-30T03:02:29Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I’ve heard “batwings.” ditto ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/10 "2016-06-30T03:10:51Z")
Furisode, loosely (heh) translated as “kimono sleeve” arms in Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/11 "2016-06-30T06:55:17Z")
_Gäddhäng_ in Swedish. _Gädda_ is a type of fish - an, uh, lemme google this… “Northern Pike” in English. _Häng_ (cognate with “hang”) means something which hangs. ---
**Author:** ![Krav\_Manga](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krav_manga/32/3153_2.png) [@Krav\_Manga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krav_Manga)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/12 "2016-06-30T08:56:21Z")
Fadoobadas in Aus, thanks to Kath and Kim. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/13 "2016-06-30T18:35:33Z")
My grandmother grew up speaking German. She called it “schwabble”. But I like “bingo wings”, and intend to steal it ASAP. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/14 "2016-06-30T20:45:12Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > _Gäddhäng_ in Swedish. > > _Gädda_ is a type of fish - an, uh, lemme google this… “Northern Pike” in English. > > _Häng_ (cognate with “hang”) means something which hangs. And grevinneheng in Norwegian. “heng” with the same meaning as “häng” and “grevinne” = countess. Why? Because reasons? Maybe you have to be nobility to keep wearing sleeveless dresses when you get those flabs? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/15 "2016-07-01T08:02:10Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Why? Because reasons? Maybe you have to be nobility to keep wearing sleeveless dresses when you get those flabs? Until 100 years ago, nobility/rich people would indeed be the only ones wearing short sleeves once they got beyond puberty. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/16 "2016-07-01T15:30:40Z")
Bingo wings. [According to Foxtrot.](http://zitscomics.com/comics/september-23-2012/) ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/17 "2016-07-01T21:46:36Z")
> [@lilihob](#): > > We call them bingo wings. > As in, when a lady of a certain age, wins a game of bingo, she shouts “bingo!”, waving her card in the air. > > > [@ivylass](#): > > > > I’ve heard “batwings.” > > > > > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > > > > > …mean hi helens. > > > > > > > [@Derleth](#): > > > > > > > > Flub. If you’re still here: US? Region? Private joke (Flub and Hi Helen)? Other people get it? > [@Nava](#): > > In Spain I’ve heard _alerones_ (flaps, as in planes) and _cortinillas_ (the fixed band at the top of a set of curtains, think for example of a theater). _Alerones_ can also refer to the arm itself when someone is windmilling (_¡esos alerones!_ - lit. “those flaps”, actually “careful with the windmilling”)… What does someone do when he is “windmilling?” I’ve only seen the word with air guitar ala Pete Townsend… I talked to a friend from Puerto Rico who said they call them _alas_, wings. If kimonos were as numerous as turkeys then the world would be more unified, if only in analogies. If wishes were fishes beggars would ride. Which I think I learned once but it doesn’t make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/18 "2016-07-02T03:59:52Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > What does someone do when he is “windmilling?” I’ve only seen the word with air guitar ala Pete Townsend… Moving his arms around excitedly, with no regard for other people’s eyes, noses and other assorted body parts. Like the “arms” of a windmill. Think stereotype Italian, Greek, Latino… Most commonly found in redundant collocation with “[excitedly](https://www.google.es/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1IRFF_enES541ES541&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22windmilling%20excitedly%22)”. And it’s “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride”. For some reason your source thought the rhyming but completely nonsensical version better. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/19 "2016-07-02T05:49:07Z")
I heard the phrase [Hadassah Arms](http://www.janethewriter.com/2012/09/hadassah-arms-no-michelle-lives-in.html) from some Jewish American ladies… ---
**Author:** ![lilihob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@lilihob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilihob)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722/20 "2016-07-02T10:08:50Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > If you’re still here: > US? Region? Private joke (Flub and Hi Helen)? Other people get it? > > What does someone do when he is “windmilling?” I’ve only seen the word with air guitar ala Pete Townsend… > > I talked to a friend from Puerto Rico who said they call them _alas_, wings. > If kimonos were as numerous as turkeys then the world would be more unified, if only in analogies. > > If wishes were fishes beggars would ride. Which I think I learned once but it doesn’t make any sense. Uk. Bingo wings. I’ve not really discussed them around the country, but here in London, they’re definitely bingo wings. If wishes were horses beggars would ride. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-in-english-hebrew-and-other-languages-floppy-flabby-flesh-hanging-from-your-upper-arm/758722.md?page=2)