Indian English Dictionary - Full List

Indian English Dictionary > Indian English Dictionary - Full List



A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1 by 2
(in South India), instruction to split a restaurant order into two (also 2 by 3, 4 by 7 etc)

2 by 4
Two divided by Four

2 into four
Two times four

420
A deceptive person, one who cheats you (after Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code); "I thought Jay was a nice guy but he turned out to be 420."

Aam aadmi
the common man (often used as the American equivalent of "Main Street:" in politics)

Aao Jo
Goodbye (in Gujarati)

ABCD
American Born Confused Desi; a pejorative term for 2nd generation Indians in USA

Abey
Hey You!

Acha
See achchaa!

Achchaa!
Okay (from Hindi); Good

Address diary
address book

Aerial
radio antenna (noun)

Aeroplane
Airplane

Ajino Moto
monsodium glutamate (MSG); used in chinese coooking; after a popular brand of MSG

Alaap
introduction, initial movement (as in classical music or son)

Alloh
Hello (when answering the phone)

Allright
okay

Almari
Cupboard, cabinet, sometimes closet; also called "almirah"

Almirah
Cupboard, cabinet, sometimes closet; also called "almari"

Alms
Money or in-kind charity, to beggars or to organizations; the word is archaic in America, common in India

Alright
Okay

Alvida
goodbye

Amma
In north India, mother; in south India, female (kid or adult)

Angrez
English person; often generic for any foreigner

Annexure
Appendix, "Please look at Annexure B of our report for financials"

Ans.
Answer (abbreviation)

Asafeotida
a popular pungent spice, known as heeng in Hindia from "Ferula assafoetida" plant

Asafetida
see Asafeotida, known as heeng

Asli
authentic, real

Asofoetida
a pungent spice,also known as heeng, used widely in Indian cooking, and in traditional medicine as a digestive aid

At the rate of
@, At (for email addresses) (my email is jay at the rate of aol.com)

Aum
See Om

Auto
Auto-rickshaw, - a three wheeler open taxi (tuk-tuk)

Averagely
on the average

Ayurveda
traditional form of medicine in India (other forms are Unani, Homeopathic

Baabul
father, dad

Baap Re!
an exclamation of surprise, literally "Oh daddy!"

Baba
a little boy; also an elderly main, grandfather, saint or religious figure

Babu
Bureaucrat, clerk, sometimes boss

Babu English
Pejorative for grammatically incorrect English written by a fellow Indian

Babul
a tropical tree, often trimmed for use as a hedge in north indian gardens

Back
Ago, as in "We met three days back."

Badla
in stock market: buying on margin; literally "exchange" or even "revenge"

Badmash
See hooligan

Bagasse
Material remaining after sugarcane (or sorghum) stalks are crushed to extract their juice.

Balance Sheet, left side
Where liabilites are recorded, NOT assets

Balance Sheet, right side
Where Assets are recorded, not Liabilities

Balti
Bucket; also a type of cuisine (balti chicken)

Bandh
General strike, where commerical establishments may be shut down

Bangle
ornamental bracelet worn by women, often made from gold or from colored glass; some women wear several bangles on both wrists

Bapu
Literally father, often refers to Mahatma Gandhi, the "Father of India."

Baraat
a wedding procession

Baraat
Wedding Procession

Basement
Usually refers to underground parking in a condo, basement as living space are rare

Batchmate
Classmate

Batch-mate
Classmate

Bath
as a verb, bath can mean "shower". as in I'm going to a quick bath early tomorrow."

Bearer
Waiter

Bearer (on a cheque or financial document)
cash ( pay to bearer in India is the same as pay to cash in the USA

Benami
anonymous; often used to describe (illegal) anonymous property transactions

Berra
Waiter

Berth
place; sleeper seat on train;

Beta
son, child

Bhabhi
brother's wife (usually elder brother's wife)

Bhabi
see bhabhi

Bhai
Man, dude; literally brother

Bhaiya
Man, dude; literally brother

Bhidoo
buddy (in Mumbai?)

Bhindi
Okra

Bhromor
bumble-bee (Bengali)

BIMARU
Acronym referring to the Indian states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh; historically slow-growth economies

Bindaas
with reckless abandon, carefree

Biryani
a dish from Hyderabad,usually lamb, chicken or mutton covered with fried, spiced rice

Bisleri
bottled water; after the brand name of a popular beverage company

Bitiya
daughter, child

Black money
Also "black"; money that is untaxed and undocumented to the government

Bn
battalion (as in army or paramilitary forces)

Board
Signboard or sign; see also hoarding

Bogey
Coach, in a passenger train

Bolo
Say it., Tell me

Bong
slang for a person from Bengal

Bonnet
Hood (of an automobile)

Boot
Trunk (of automobile)

Boring
drilling, as in drilling underground for water as part of new construction

Bowled
Knocked out, from cricket

Brinjal
Eggplant; Brinjal is the Indian English+B79 word for "Eggplant (Hindi word is Baingan)

Britisher
Briton

Broking
Brokerage (from the British)

Brother
May be a brother, or cousin; see real brother

Bullet
brand name of a popular motorcycle from Royal Enfield

Bungalow
Any big house, typically with a verandah, driveway and walled front yard

Bunk
(verb), to avoid classes in school

Bus!
That's it (from Hindi)

By
/, the symbol referred to as slash; divided by; see also "1 by 2"

C.A.
Chartered Accountant, like a CPA in the USA

Cabin
office, cubicle

Calling card
Business card (see also visiting card)

Cantt
Cantonment; the area in a city reserved for military installations and housing

Capsicum
bell pepper

Car Park
Parking lot

Cash Memo
Receipt in a retail store

Cent Percent
100 percent

Cess
Tax

Chaat
Spicy fresh snack foods

Chaddies
underpants

Chai
Tea

Chaikhana
in northwestern India and Pakistan, a tea stall

Chaiyya
Shade (also made famous by the worldwide hit song Chaiyya Chaiyya, google it)

Chal
see chalo

Challo!
Let's go

Chalo
Let's go; also used colloquially to mean ok, alright; in Punjab often said as "chal"

Chamcha
Sycophant (slang); literally "spoon" in Hindi

Chamcha
Sycophant, a person who is a "suck-up"; literally a large spoon or ladle

Chappals
Slippers

Chaprasi
Messenger (from Hindi)

Charpoy
a cot, typically strung with rope, or cloth/nylon tape; literally four legs

Chatni
see chutney

Chawl
Tenement, see also kholi

Chemist
pharmacist, see also druggist

Chennai
The new name for Madras, a major Southern City

Cheque
Check (as in a bank check)

Choli
blouse, upper garment for women

Chori
theft; also in poetry/song to steal a glance or to do something furtively, as in chori-chori

Chowk
Urban square, market, major intersection

Chowkidar
watchman

Christian name
first name, see also forename and surname

Chuddies
see Chaddies

Chunni
a long scarf worn by women, draped over both shoulders and front; for modesty; may also cover head/ears in cold or windy weather

Churidar
trousers, worn by either sex, very tight around lower leg, forming a seried of ringlets ("churi")

Chutney
sauce, could be sour, sweet, or tart; usually from herbs or vegetables

Ciggy
Slang for cigarette

Cinema
Movie, or movie theater

Cinema Hall
Movie Theater

Co-brother
For a married man, his wife sister's husband; used most often in South India

Coir
fiber made from coconut husk;

Cold drink
Beverage (Coke, Milk Shake, Lemonade); "It's sweltering bhai, let's stop for cold drinks"

Colony
Neighborhood or American sub-division; "I grew up in Nehru Colony""

Come again
Please repeat what you said, I did not understand you the first time.

Con Call
Conference phone call, usually at a pre-arranged time

Convent School
A school runs by Christian missionaries; often nuns; but loosely any Christian school

Corporate
Company

Corporates
Companies; our customers include California corporates such as Intel and Amgen

Corporator
elected official in city government, similar to councilman

Corpus
amount, sum of money

Cousin brother
Cousin, male

Cousin sister
Cousin, female

Cowdung
cow chips, used as fertilizer, and as fuel for village fires

Coy
Company (as in army or paramilitary forces)

Cr.
Crore (ten million); "This plot of land costs 4 Cr rupees"

Creche
daycare center for infants

Crockery
chinaware; fragile dishes

Crore
Ten million (also see "lakh")

CTC
Cost to Company (when referring to the total compensation of an employee including benefits)

Cum
in combination, such as sofa-cum-bed or ticket-cum-reservation

Cupboard
Cabinet

Curd
yoghurt

Current came
The power came back on

Daaru
Booze, sometimes written as daru

Dacoit
Robber

Dada
elder brother; Street boss (Mumbai slang)

Dada giri
intimidation, as in by a street boss or rogue (adverb)

Dada ji
Gramps, Grandpa, old man

Dahi
yoghurt

Dak Bungalow
A government guest house, often in a remote location, where no hotels may exist

Dal
Lentils; also the dish cooked with lentils and a major protein source in Indian diets; also dhall

Dalit
a member of the shudra cast, literally "the oppressed"

Daru
Booze, sometimes written as daaru

Deadly
Intense (slang)

Deemed university
a private educational entity, that is not yet approved by the government to grant degrees

Degree holder
Someone who has a degree (diploma) from the equivalent of a 4-year college

Dekho
To take a look, to examine, to watch out of curiosity; from Hindi, see also dekko

Dekko
To take a look, to examine, to watch out of curiousity; from Hindi dekho "to see"

Dengue
a mosquito borne viral illness; usually accompanied by high fever)

Departmental store
Any self-service shop, even if small

Desi
Fellow countryman; used by Indians abroad to refer to one another

Deva
Minor god

Dhall
Lentils, typically a source of protein, cooked as a soup/gravy

Dhania
coriander (seeds); cilantro (leaves)

Dhoti
long rectangular piece of cloth, can be worn by women or men to cover lower body; see also sari

Dickey
Trunk (of automobile)

Dil
heart (often in a romantic not physiological sense); "hriday" is the more proper Hindi word

Diploma holder
One who has completed a 2-3 year college course, such as in an American junior college

District
County, in local government

DM
District Magistrate; the senior most local government official at the county level

Do
short for "ditto", used to indicate duplicated data in a list or table

Donkey's years
A long time

Doordarshan
India's government owned television channel; literally "visualize from afar"

Dosa
South Indian crepe, often filled with potatos, eaten as a snack

Double-roti
sandwich bread

Dress
Outfit, clothing (for men or for women)

Druggist
pharmacist, see also chemist

Dupatta
a long scarf, typically strung over the shoulders and bosom

Duplex
Two-level house (NOT two houses with a common wall); often mis-pronounced "duplay"

Durbaan
security guard, doorman

Earthing
grounding (in electrical circuitry)

Eggetarian
A vegetarian who also eats eggs and egg products

Eleven number bus
Slang for walking

Email ID
Email Address; "Please give me your Email ID"

EMI
Equal Monthly Instalments; a level payment plan to repay capital or revolving loans

Engaged
Busy (for a telephone line); "I gave you a tinkle but your number, was engaged"

Entre
Appetizer (as in Europe), and not main course of a meal (as in America)

Fag
Slang for cigarette

Fagged out
tired, exhausted

Farm
For a wealthy urban resident, a cottage or resor in the country; with little or no agriculture!

Fast
having loose morals (often in reference to a woman)

FD
Fixed Deposit, same as a CD or Certificate of Deposit at a US bank

Filter Coffee
Brewed Coffee as opposed to instant coffee

Firangi
Foreigner

Fired
Chastised (not removed from job)

First floor
The second floor of a multi-storey building, see ground floor

Fitment
fit ( "What is the fitment between your company needs and our products?")

Flat
Apartment

Fly
"and family"; often seen on group tickets; "Mr Singh, Mrs Singh and 2 fly."

Football
Soccer; American football is not played in India

Footfalls
In the retail business: number of prospective and real customers to enter the store

Footpath
Sidewalk

Foreign Returned
Having recently come back from some foreign country

Forename
first name, see also christian name

Franked
verb, the acting of applying metered postage, using a "franking" machine

Franking machine
postage meter

Freak Out
Let's have fun (slang)

French beard
A goatee

Fresher
Freshman; first year student, new employee, inexperienced worker

Fridge
refrigerator

Full stop
Period, at the end of a sentence

Funda
(slang) essence, fundamental,

Gajra
floral garland, floral band often jasmine or marigold

Gandhi Dynasty
Refer to the first Prime Minister of India, Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi etc (but not Mahatma Gandhi)

Ghaghra
lower garment worn by women, usually with a choli on top

Gharwali
wife, housewife

Ghat
steps, often leading to a river, pond or bathing place; also hills/mountains

Ghati
pejorative for Marathi (someone from the Western Ghats) do not use

Ghazal
urdu poem, often sung

Ghee
Clarified butter, often used as a cooking medium

Gherao
to surround/encircle a person, generally an official; a form of protest

Ghunghat
part of a sari, used to cover the head/face

Godman
Pejorative word for a person who who claims to have supernatural powers

Godown
Warehouse

Godrej
Steel almirah; after the brand name of a leading India company

Goggles
Sunglasses, also swimming goggles

Goli Maar!
See Goli Mar

Goli mar
fuggedaboutit, forget about it; literally "shoot the issue (dead) with a bullet"

Golimar
see goli mar

Good name
Name

Goodname
Polite way to request someone's (proper) name, not nickname; see "Your good name"

Goods train
freight train

Goonda
thug

Gora
slang for "white" person, foreigner,

Gosht
meat

Governor
A non-executive, appointed head for a province or state; see Chief Minister

Graduate
undergraduate; someone with a bachelor's degree is specifically called a graduate

Gratuity
Payment for meritorious service (not identical with a tip)

Grease
lubricant (never cooking fat)

Ground floor
First floor of a multi-storey building; see first floor

Guru
Respected and revered teacher; also guru-ji

Gutka
chewable tobacco product

Gymkhana
country club; sporting facility;

Haanji
Yes, sir

Haat
street market, fair

Hafta
weekly payment, usually "bribe"

Hai
Is (verb)

Hai Ram
Oh God!, an exclamation of suprise, frustration, excitement; "Hai Ram, I can't believe I got the job."

Haina
Isn't it. (used it as a confirmatory filler at the end of a sentence).

Half-pants
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nekar"

Half-ticket
Reduced price ticket, for a child, senior, or other special category

Hallo
hello

Handle
handlebar of bicycle, steering wheel of car

Harijan
member of lower caste, termed coined by Mahatma Gandhi; now referred to as Dalit

Hash
#, ie the pound symbol

Hat trick
Three in a row, from cricket

Have, have!
exhortation to eat/drink something offered to a guest

Haveli
an old-fashioned mansion, typically with a large central courtyard;

Hawala
undocumented foreign exchange transactions (not legally permitted)

Healthy
In North India, refers to fat people, but not pejoratively

Heeng
see asofoetida

Helo
Hello

Hero
In a movie, leading man or male star

Heroine
In a movie, leading woman

High Court
The highest court in the state; each state in India has a high court (see Supreme Court)

High Tech
Stylish (used in reference to attire, for example)

History sheeter
Person with a long history of violations or crimes

Ho
Hindi verb, let there be, will be

Hoarding
Billboard

Hockey
Field hockey, played on grass with a ball and hockeysticks; NOT "ice hockey"

Homely
One who can build a good home, has upstanding moral values (when referrring to a marriageable girl)

Hookah
a waterpipe for smoking; used in Northern and Northwest India with tobacco (not marijuana, typically)

Hooligan
Hoodlum, unruly person

Horeca
Sales term, abbreviation for HOtels, REstaurants and CAterers

Hotel
Eating establishment, restaurant

Hullo
Hello

Hutment
a group of huts or makeshift dwellings, often in a slum area

I am understanding it
I have already understood.

IAS
Indian Administrative Service; the elite civil service cadre that runs the country

Iddly
In South India, steamed rice/lentil patty, traditionally eaten at breakfast

Idli
In South India, steamed rice/lentil patty, traditionally eaten at breakfast

IMFL
Indian-made Foreign Liquor; distilled spirits like whisky, rum or gin made in India, as distinct from tharra

Indent
(noun) purchase order, or official requistion for goods or services

Indian-made Foreign Liquor
Whisky, rum, gin etc produced in India but not "country-liquour" which is usually much less expensive and sold in different stores.

Inmates
occupants (not necessarily jail inmates)

Intimate you
Inform you

Into
multiplied by; see 2 into 4

Invigilator
Monitor, as in an administered test or examination

Item girl
It girl; a female movie star who appears in an "item song" in a Hindi movie; "the talk of the town"

Jaan
life; also "darling" colloquially

Jai
hail

Jai
Hail (salutation); such as Jai Ganesh (to a god) or Jai Hind (to the country)

Jai Ho
All Right! Wow! Praise to you!

Jangal
Jungle, forest; jungle actually originated in Hindi

Jao
Please go (from Hindi)

Jati
caste (Hindi)

Jatra
in West Bengal, a form of traditional/folk theater

Jawan
Soldier, as in "private" in USA

Ji
Used as suffix, when referring to anyone meriting respect for e.g. Parker-ji, Smith-ji, Gupta-ji

Jija-ji
Sister's husband (as a pronoun, or a suffix); "Ramesh Jija-ji will be over for dinner"

Jugaad
Creative improvisation; "jury rigging" in American; find a way out by hook or by crook

Junglee
uncultured, wild; literally "of the jungle/forest"; sometimes spelled jungly

Jungly
see junglee

Kabaddi
a traditional indian game; two teams play in a court, includes one player holding their breath

Kabhi
sometimes; also, when

Kachra
trash, rubbish

Kal
yesterday, also tomorrow!

Kapsi
capsicum (green, bell peper); aka Simla mirch or Moti mirch

Karta
Head of Household (literally "the one who does")

Keep
Put (verb)

Keep
Pejorative for mistress (noun)

Kem Cho
How are you, in Gujarati

Khadi
homespun fabric; clothing made from homespun; often worn by politicians

Khaki
brown color, also cotton clothing used by police, military and other liveried services

Kharif
autumn; autumn harvest as distinct from rabi

Khataa khat
quickly, pronto!

Kholi
In Mumbai, tenement; see also chawl

Ki
That (from Hindi)

Kitty party
A gathering of housewives, often accompanied by potluck meals, or network marketing

Koi ho
Who's there?!

Kolkata
The new name for Calcutta, a large city in East India

Kumar
Indian middle name or (in recent years) last name; Kumar literally means unmarried male but that usage is obsolete

Kutta
dog, male dog; (see also kutti)

Kutti
female dog

Kya
what

Kyoon
Why (from Hindi); "kyoon ki" is because; Indians will use these words in English sentences

Laatsahib
The big boss, from Lord Sahib (ie the Governor General or Viceroy in colonial India)

Lac
Hundred Thousand (see Crore)

Lacuna
Gap, shortcoming, failing

Laddoo
a dessert, typically a round ball with dairy, lentil or flour ingredients

Ladyfinger
Okra, a vegetable

Lady's finger
Okra, a vegetable

Lakh
Hundred Thousand (see Crore)

Lathi
a staff or cane, typically made of bamboo; used as a walking stick or a disciplinary cane by police

Lehenga
lower garment worn by women, usually with a choli on top

Lift
Elevator

Lift
Ride; "Can you please give me a lift to the airport? The bus is running late."

Lingam
also Shiva-lingam, the phallic representation of the Hindua Lord Shiva

Load shedding
Brown outs or blackouts, often pre-scheduled, due to electric power shortage

Local
suburban train (in Mumbai)

Long-cut
A circuituous or rambling path to the destination; opposite of short-cut

Lorry
Truck

Love marriage
A marriage that follows a love affair, as opposed to a more common "arranged marriage", which is arranged by the bride's and groom's parents.

Lungi
a sarong style wrap worn by men; very common in South India; also worn in North India

Maane
What I mean is (from Hindi)

Maata
revered mother; also a slang term for smallpox in north India

Madam
Respectful term for women - same as Ma'am

Maggu
bookish person, one who studies a lot, someone who memorizes answers

Mahal
palace

Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, freedom fighter, revered as the Father of Independent India

Mai
I (the singular personal pronoun)

Maidan
empty/flat field; often a town square, or meeting place or cricket field

Malik
owner, of a company or business or a parcel of land

Mall Road
Main Street; The English colonialists often named the major street Mall Road; most Mall Roads have been renamed to Mahatma Gandhi Road or MG Road

Mallu
slang for South Indian person, a Malayalam speaker, (some consider it derogatory, do not use)

Mama
Maternal uncle, also street talk for "cop"

Marks
Points; "He received 92% marks on the exam."

Masala
spice (n); colloqially: spicy (adj), as in masala movie

Masjid
mosque (an Islamic place of worship)

Matar
peas, chickpeas; or a dish cooked with peas/chickpeas

Matlab
What I mean is (from Hindi)

Matter
Material, content. "Please give me the matter for your website"

MBBS
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (physician, licensed to practice much like an MD in USA)

MD
Managing Director, equivalent of CEO; (physicians are called MBBS)

Meat
Any food of animal origin (chicken, pork, lamb, fish, etc)

Medico
doctor, sometimes medical student or resident

Mei
in (verb); sometimes written as "mein"; not to be confused with mai (which see)

Mein
In (verb)

Mem
pronounced "maim", slang for "doll" or female dressed in western outfit; from "ma'am"

Memsaab
Honorific to refer to a woman boss or woman of higher status (from "ma'am sahib")

Memsahib
Honorific to refer to a woman boss or woman of higher status (from "ma'am sahib")

Mention not
Don't mention it; a way saying "You are welcome" in response to a thank you

Mera
mine (masculine possessive pronoun); see also meri

Mere
Mine (plural possessive pronoun, masculine possessive pronoun)

Meri
mine (feminine possessive pronoun); see also mera

Messrs.
For a corporation e.g. Messr Procter & Gamble

Military Hotel
(in Tamilnadu), A restaurant that serves non-vegetarian food; where many are vegetarian

Miscreants
People up to no good; petty criminals;

Missed call
A call that is deliberately unanswered on a cell phone, as a signal; "Give me a missed call when you are ready."

Missi amma
In Karnataka, often used to refer to an Anglo Indian or Christian woman, one who may wear a skirt

Mixie
Grinder, blender

Mobile
Cell Phone; "I left my mobile at home."

Modalities
processes, paperwork (bureaucratese); We cannot issue the licences since modalities remain.

Mona
mona Sikh or mona Sardar refers to Sikh male who has shaved his beard, cut his hair short

Mother Tongue
Native language; I live in Delhi but my mother tongue is Oriya

Mufti
off duty clothes of someone who wears a uniform at work (from British Indian Army)

Mujhe
Mine (possessive pronoun)

Mumbai
The new name for Bombay; the natives always called it Mumbai

Munda
boy, young man (used in Punjab and north India as slang from Punjabi)

Munna
boy, young man

Munni
girl, young woman

Murgh
chicken

Murgh mussalam
the whole chicken (uncut, but cooked)

Mushaira
a public gathering of Urdu poets (often extended into a late night event)

My Mrs.
My wife..

Mydear
my dear, used to mean friend or buddy in casual conversation

Naani
maternal grandmother

Nahi
No

Nahin
No, from Hindi

Namaskar
See namaste

Namaste
A greeting, literally "I respect you", see also "namaskar".

Nani
see naani

NCR
the tri-state area surrounding New Delhi; the National Capital Region

Near and Dear
Friends and family

Nearly
Can mean "approximately", rather than "almost"; "We have nearly 10-12 Vice Presidents"

Needful
Whatever is needed to be done (I will do the needful)

Nekar
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nikkar"

Nescoffee
Instant coffee, after Nestle's popular instant coffee (as distinct from filter coffee)

NGO
Non-governmental organization, usually in reference to private non-profit groups

Nikkar
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nekar"

Non-veg joke
a raunchy or obscene joke (which many Indian men would not share in mixed company)

North Block
Federal (Central) government building which houses Finance, Home ministries , see South Block

Note
Bill of currency; I will give you a hundred rupee note

NRI
Non-resident Indian, an Indian citizen residing overseas

Numbers
Each, as measure of quantity; Please send me 3 numbers of ingots, means Please send me 3 each ingots;

Nursing home
Small private hospital, usually owned by a physican; NOT a retirement home

Oblique
See "By"; My address is "Seven Oblique A" for 7/A; same as "slash"+B262 in American

Obsequies
Funeral rituals

Off it
Switch it Off

Offs
Holiday or vacation day (days that I am off)

Om
a sacred invocation in Hindu philosophy and religion; often aspirated over 40-120 seconds or more

On it
Switch it On

One by two
(in South India), instruction to split a restaurant order into two (also 2 by 3, 4 by 7 etc)

Only
When used in a complex sentence, "only" might qualify any word in the sentence; always clarify!

Oof!
Show distress or frustation (ugh)

Open
Switch on (Open the airconditioner please)

Out of station
Out of town; "Sorry I could not meet you, I was out of station when you visited."

Paalak
spinach, see also saag

Paan
the betel leaf, eaten after a meal (with catechu, lime, and betel nut)

Pakora
see pakoras

Pakoras
Deep fried fritters (breaded potatoes, onions, chicken, veggies)

Palak
eyelid

PAN
Permanent Account Number, a unique ID for Indian taxpayers

Panchayat
a village council, typically consisting of five elders

Paneer
a form of fresh home-made cottage cheese (often used in cooking)

Panir
see Paneer

Parallely
In parallel

Parikrama
circumambulation of a temple, deity or holy place by a worshipper

Partition
refers to the 1947 partition of colonial India into independent Pakistan and India

Party
entity, company; "I want to you to meet a promising party, who may place a large order"

Passed out
Graduated (from college)

Passout
To graduate, to complete education, "I am a 1996 passout from Delhi University."

Pass-out
To graduate, to complete education, "I am a 1996 pass-out from Delhi University."

Pavement
Sidewalk; (in the US pavement refers to the street not the sidewalk); see also footpath

Pay-in slip
deposit slip (at a bank)

Paying guest
a boarder, someone who rents a room or bed in a private home

Pen-down strike
A strike or protest in which office workers sit at their desks but do no work

Peon
Unskilled office helper

Pet name
Nick name. "My brother is Krishna, but we gave him the pet name Kris."

Petrol
Gasoline

Petrol pump
Gas station

PFA
Please find attached (abbreviation often used as part of an email)

Phattey
tall tales, fabrications

PIN code
Postal Code, (PIN= Postal Index Number);

Pindrop silence
Literaly absolute silence

Pir
a Sufi saint or holy man

Plinth
Built up area, in real estate

Postgraduate
Graduate, a student pursuing education beyond a bachelor's degree

Pphutt
broken, stopped working, literally torn;

Prasad
consecrated food offering in Hindu religion; also a Hindu last name or male middle name

Prem
Love, also a masculine name

Prepone
Move it earlier (as opposed to post - postpone)

PSU
public-sector undertaking, a company where owned by the government

PTO
Please turn over (annotation at the bottom of a page to indicate further content)

Public School
A prestigious (and very private) school; similar to Brtish public schools.

Pucca
solid, real, the real thing (also spelled pukka); literally means ripe

Pukka
solid, real, permanent, the real thing (also spelled pucca); literally means ripe

Pulao
rice that has been sauted before being steamed; may contain spice/peas/etc

Puncher
puncture

Puncture
Flat (for an automobile tire)

Pune
The new name for Poona, near Mumbai (which see)

Punjabi
from the region of Punjab (in northern India and Pakistan) ; the language spoken in the Punjab

Punjabi
women's clothing such as worn by women from Punjab; large shirt and trousers

Purse
Purse, or wallet for a man or woman

Puts in (his or her) papers
announces the decision to resign, "Jay Aman put in his papers last week"

Pyaar
Love

Pyjama
Loose pants worn by men in North India, not just for sleeping

Qawwali
mystical singing in the "sufi" tradition; involved repetition, clapping and improvisation

Queue
Line (Please form a Q in front of the ticket counter); of course many Indians then ignore queues :)

Raag
piece of classical indian music, aka raga

Rabi
spring; spring harvest

Raga
raag

Ragging
Hazing, harrasment of new students by seniors

Raise an invoice
Create an invoice

Rapeseed
Canola see for oil; actually canola is a North American invention (Canadian oil, low acid)

Ration Card
Government issued document that entitles holder to price controlled food; also serves as ID

Real Brother
Brother; as distinct from a cousin or "cousin brother".

Regularise
Legitmize

Resp.
respected (used as form of address in a letter or email, such as Resp. Dr. Joy)

Rest house
See "dak bungalow"

Retiring room
waiting room for travelers at a railway or bus station (may include clean toilets)

Revert
Get back to you (by phone or email); "Give me a week to revert to you."

Rick
Rickshaw

Ring
Phone call. "Give me a ring tomorrow."

Roti
bread; see also double-roti

Rubber
Eraser (not condom)

Saag
spinach (in Punjabi), any vegetable (in UP)

Sahib
Also sa'ab"; boss, often used to refer to person of higher status, see also "memsahib".

Salaam Walikum
Islamic greeting, your reply "Walikum Salaam"

Saloon
a beauty parlor for women; a barber (for men)

Samosa
Triangular fried snack food; filled with potatoes, perhaps meat; similar to empanada

Sanctum sanctorum
the innermost part of the temple; only priests can enter it, generally

Saneema
cinema

Sari
a long (six or nine yard) rectangular piece of clothing worn by Indian women, draped over lower body and shoulder; may be made of cotton or silk or other material; can be casual or formal

Sat Sri Akal
Sikh greeting

Satta
Gambling, usually illegal, informal mass-scale gambling run by the underworld

Scheme
Plan, project; (no negative connotation)

School
an elementary (primary), middle or high (secondary) school; in unqualfied form, "school" rarely refers to a college or university

Scooter
Sometimes used in North India to refer to a scooter-rickshaw taxi; also "auto".

Seniors
More experienced employees (or students); NOT old people

Sensex
Sensitive Index, of key Bombay Stock Exchange stocks; akin to Dow Jones Industrials

Sepahi
constable, private; see also Sepoy

Sepoy
British Colonial way of mispronouncing sepahi; or constable, private

Sexy
Extremely cool, slick

Shamiana
large, often colorful tent for social, religious or political events

Shawl
a rectangular woollen or cotton cloth, draped over shoulders for warmth or appearance, worn by women or men

Shifted
relocated, moved (as in office, home); " We have shifted to South Delhi"

Shree
See Shri

Shri
Also Shree, meaning Mister, Mr.

Shrimati
Mrs., also written as Srimati or Sreemati (see also Shri)

Shuttle
"birdie" in badminton, short for shuttlecock

Shuttlecock
"birdie" in badminton, see also shuttle

Simla Mirch
Capsicum (green/bell pepper)

Sir
Used in place of a person's name, honorific, see "ji"; "Sanjay Sir authorized me to buy this computer".

Sister
Nurse

Sit
To have an office "I sit in London and Delhi."

Six by three or six upon three
Six divided by three

Sixer
Home run, slang from cricket

Sleeper
Cross-tie, as in the cross member that connect railroad tracks

Slow
Soft; "Please speak slow."

Smt.
Shrimati, Mrs., also written as Srimati or Sreemati

South Block
the building that houses the central ministries of Defense and of External Affairs (see North Block)

Speak in english
Speak English

Specs
Spectacles, glasses

Speed-breaker
Road bump

Sri
Also Shree, Shri, meaning Mister, Mr.

Stamp paper
Government issued paper, for the signing of legal documents, as a tax collection method.

Stand
trade show booth/exhibit

Stand for election
Run for elective office

Standard
School year / grade - "My son is in sixth standard."

Status family
Rich people

Stay
Usually used instead of live "Where do you stay in Chicago?"

STD
Long-distance phone call, Subscriber Trunk Dialling.

Steel Frame
Metaphor for elite Indian Administrative Service, IAS; the steel frame that holds up the India edifice

Stepney
Spare tire (in automobie), sometimes used insultingly to refer to a mistress (spare wife)

Stockist
a dealer or retailer who maintains inventory of a particular item

Stores
Warehouse, Stockroom (as in factory)

Stuck up
busy, pre-occupied, "I was late to the call because I was stuck up with a client visit"

Studio
Photo studio

Sub
everything (from Hindi)

Supreme Court
The highest court in the Country; there is only one Supreme Court, not one per state; see High Court

Surname
last name, see also forename and christian name

Surruchi
tasty (Bengali)

Take
Means "consume" when used with food or drink items. "Take a cold drink, please."

Tandoor
Clay oven, high temperature; see Tandoori

Tandoori
a type of Punjabi cuisine cooked in a Tandoor (which see); chicken and naan bread are commonly cooked Tandoori style

Tap
Faucet

Tata
goodbye, also the name of a large Indian corporate group after the founding family

Taxi-Vaxi
Taxi (usually a nonsensical word is attached to emphasize a word e.g. chai-vai, taxi-vaxi)

Tea
Hot tea, often served with milk and sugare pre-mixed; unless you specify in advance

Tehsil
A subdivision of a county

Telecon
Telephone conference, or business telephone call

Teri
Yours (dimunitive possesive pronoun)

Test
test

Thali
Dinner plate, often made of Stainless Steel

Thali meal
All you can eat "price-fixe" usually at mid-priced restaurant.

Tharra
Country liquour, as distinct from IMFL; tharra is often a drink of the lower socio-economic classes

Theek hai
that's right, or it's all right, or its okay

Throw up
bring up, cause to happen,

Throws up
causes, bring up; (" Arabian Sea throws up cyclonic circulation")

Thug
a cheat, a thief

Tick
Check off (not irritate); "Please tick the the preferred time for your appointment on this list."

Tieup
Joint Venture; agreement to work together

Tie-up
Joint Venture; agreement to work together

Tiffin
Meal, specially a short meal or one that you carry with you

Tiffin carrier
Lunch Box; lunch pail

Tilak
sacred mark on forehead, often yellow sandalwood paste or red coloring

Timepass
Wasting time away, also used to refer to snack food sold in buses/trains/stations

Tinkle
Phone Call; "Give me a tinkle next time you are in town and we can meet."

Toilet
Restroom, see also W.C.

Tonga
a horse-drawn carriage, usually on two wheels, still used as a "taxi" in India, seat four or more

Too good
Very good; "Your presentation today was too good."

Torch
Flashlight

Touch wood
knock on wood (for good luck)

Treble
triple

Tubelight
flourescent light

Tulsi
Basil, used for religious purposed by Hindus; as seasoning by all

Tum
singular you (familiar form of pronoun); aap is more formal

Turnover
Revenue

Typical
unusual, different (ie the opposite of the American meaning);

Tyre
Automobile tire

Udupi hotel
in South India, a vegetarian restaurant run by South Indian Udupi Brahmins

Under root
Square root, in mathematics

Untouchables
Persons belonging to scheduled caste - politically incorrect word - DO NOT USE

Updation
Updating

Upgradation
Process of applying an upgrade

Upto
Up to

Use and throw
Disposable

Vaastu Shastra
Indian architectural practice of maintaining balance with nature; analogous to "FengShui".

Vakalatanama
see Vakalatnaama

Vakalatnaama
affidavit, power of attorney

Vanaspati
of vegetable/vegetarian origin; vanaspati oil

Vela
To have free time. (in Southern India)

Vernac
Provincial; culturally backward, or unrefined (from "vernacular")

Vide
Refer to; "You owe us $32,570 vide Invoice Number 3275/F."

Visiting card
Business card (see also calling card")"

Waah!
Wow! (from Hindi)

Wallah
Someone involved in the function just mentioned - e.g. The taxi-wallah knew Kolkata very well

WC
Water Closet, ie toilet

White goods
in retail: major appliances (and not linens as in United States)

White money
Also white; money that is shown on the books and duly taxed

Windscreen
Windshield (of automobile)

Wine
Can mean aloholic liquor; you may not find any Chablis at a wine shop!

Works
(noun) factory, plant

Yaar
Friend, amigo, buddy (slang, Hindi), also written as yar

Yallow
Hello (when answering the phone)

Yankland
Pejorative for USA

Yar
Friend, amigo, buddy (slang, Hindi), also written as yaar

Yedah
irrational, unbalanced, crazy (slang in Mumbai)

Yesterday night
Last night

You people
Indians commonly use "you people" when they want to address more than one person. Not intended to belittle or criticize the recipient.

Your good name please?
What is your name?

Zed
Zee (the last letter of the alphabet)

Zindagi
life, living

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