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Feb 15, 2023 at 12:41 comment added PLL @GottfriedHelms: I really think this is not such a good approximation to the meaning you describe. Some of its connotations are apt, but others are quite misleading (as Greybeard’s comment notes); besides that, it’s much less commonly used with this meaning than e.g. tease and other options.
Feb 15, 2023 at 10:30 comment added Joachim @Greybeard Hmm, not entirely what the OP was looking for, methinks :)
Feb 15, 2023 at 10:25 comment added Greybeard "Father always had a habit of trifling with his sons' girlfriends" Ha! That would mean "Father always had a habit of flirting and behaving in an amorous manner, especially touching them, with his sons' girlfriends"
Feb 15, 2023 at 10:09 comment added Joachim @Greybeard Good question. "Father always had a habit of trifling with his sons' girlfriends" would be the correct use, but it indeed (as in: I think that was your point) sounds off. Is it not common to use it in this way? It also seems to be used more often with abstractions, like 'feelings' or 'love'. "Father always had a habit of trifling with his son's feelings" sounds a lot more usual.
Feb 14, 2023 at 12:09 comment added Greybeard Can you explain how you would use "trifle" in the two examples given?
Feb 14, 2023 at 10:55 vote accept Gottfried Helms
Feb 15, 2023 at 13:23
Feb 14, 2023 at 10:55 comment added Gottfried Helms Yes, this seems to be the best approximation, many thanks! I feel it is exactly what I wanted express myself. Against the "lighthearted" without further attributes it doesn't completely loose the relation to its (unfriendly) root of "spott"/"spotten","verspotten" and this is also essentially to my intent with this word "spötteln".
Feb 14, 2023 at 10:22 history answered Joachim CC BY-SA 4.0