My mom used to call me "Schneckchen", which isn't much better. I understand why you'd use something like "dear" or "kitten", but most snails/slugs are so fundamentally lacking in adorableness, I don't get it. Same with the potatoes. "Muffin", "sugar", or "honey", I get (hate, but get), but potatoes? Maybe German is just generally horrid at endearments. :D