papergardener: For some time I’ve been translating a couple letters from a ballerina in the la
papergardener: For some time I’ve been translating a couple letters from a ballerina in the late 1800′s (in fact, the first lead of Coppelia) and it’s hard! I’m finally almost done, and I just stumbled on something and I’m about to cry, oh my lord. For context: she’s sixteen, the newest star dancer at the Paris Opera, and she’s writing to her ballet teacher during the Siege of Paris. And there’s a word in the signature I definitely haven’t seen before- Crapaud. It means toad. This ballet star finishes her letter with… “From your most humble and devoted Toad.” What the hell? Giuseppina… what the hell? -- source link