[Idiom] What does "Inky-dinky" mean?

[sherishine]

I searched the phrase" inky-dinky parlez-vous", and thought it might be related to an old song popular several decades ago.

The name of the song is Mademoiselle from Armentieres.

However I still have no clue for the meaning of "inky-dinky parlez-vous".

:?: Do you know anything about this phrase?

 

[Tdol]

I don't think it has that specific a meaning. It's meant to sound a bit naughty- there are mild sexual connotations in the song, so it adds to that without being specific or rude,

 

[5jj]

I suppose it could be an attempt to describe the way you feel if you haven't been kissed for forty years.

 

[BobK]

I suppose it could be an attempt to describe the way you feel if you haven't been kissed for forty years.

:up: (but 'forty' :-?)You feel 'hunky-dory', but there may also be an admixture of Tdol's 'hanky-panky'! ;-)

Bear in mind that nonsense syllables are often used - 'fa-a-la', 'hey nonny no', etc. Also, sherishine, remember that it was a First World War song sung by English soldiers. 'Mademoiselle' has four syllables, to match the tune, and the place-name is pronounced /'a:məntiəz/.

b

 

[emsr2d2]

In current BrE, "dinky" means something approximating "small and cute".

The nursery rhyme I was taught starts "Itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout...". In a British children's TV show in the late 70s, the name of which escapes me, there were two puppet spiders, one called Itsy and the other called Bitsy.

 

[Barb_D]

I know it as the itsy-bitsy spider too.

 

[5jj]

I grew up with the incey-wincey spider.

 

[emsr2d2]

I grew up with the incey-wincey spider.

Without wishing to sound like a 14-year-old girl - OMG!!!! I learnt that version too and had completely forgotten about it in the mists of time. I think I now associate it so much with the puppet spiders on Paperplay that I only remembered that version. Now the question is, of course, what on earth does "incey-wincey" mean?

 

[BobK]

I grew up with the incey-wincey spider.

Me too. (Wonder what 'coeval' means...:-? )

b

 

[sherishine]

Incey-wincey parlez-vous May it be better than the inky-dinky( this word reminds me of something lovely yet dark ) version for me.

 

[bhaisahab]

My grandfather, who was wounded at the Somme in 1916, used to sing "inky-pinky parlez-vous" and that's what I always thought it was until this thread.

 

[5jj]

My grandfather, who was wounded at the Somme in 1916, used to sing "inky-pinky parlez-vous" and that's what I always thought it was until this thread.

It was 'inky-pinky' in my rugby team in the 1960s.