 Re: Ways of walking
Example (c) was : I managed to creep/slink/sneak/tiptoe up behind the burglar before he noticed me. All are possible, except slink.
creep : move very quietly and slowly. Examples :
As soon as I was sure the baby was asleep, I crept out of the bedroom and went downstairs.
The fog was still thick so that to go to the village I crept along with my headlights full on.
It often creates the image of someone hunching down so as to make themselves as small and unnoticeable as possible - as in your example, and :
It's an embarrassment. You sort of creep into a corner and hope she doesn't see you.
It can also be used metaphorically :
..the new, aggressive tone that has crept into the emotional issue of reunification.
slink : I don't think this one would be used in your context. It has a negative connotation and would be used eg in a situation where someone was ashamed about something or had done something wrong :
Get out of my life! And don't think that I'll calm down and you can come slinking back!
Nixon slunk away, and Ford pardoned him.
My friend immediately apologized and slunk away, embarrassed.
sneak : here the most important component of meaning is + secretly, without the other person knowing. This would be fine in your context. Other examples :
..for more of the slaves, including Annie, had sneaked off when the soldiers broke camp.
...he would often sneak away, so that they would never find him.
A rare British bat has developed remarkable stealth technology to sneak up on the moths which are its principal prey...
In these examples it's used with an adverb, and indicates movement, but it can also be used with a noun to mean do something secretly without other people knowing :
I... sneaked a look at the McLaren girl
I suppose a Lascar sailor had sneaked a cigarette in the hold and touched off the blaze
tiptoe : this means exactly what it says - to walk on the tips of your feet without putting the whole foot on the ground - which you would do if you were trying to be quiet. So again, it's fine in your context, and would be OK too in the example I gave before :
As soon as I was sure the baby was asleep, I tiptoed out of the bedroom and went downstairs. |