Indian English Dictionary - Full List

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."

Aaja
aa ja; come here!

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

Aao Jo
Goodbye (in Gujarati)

Aayah
nanny or elder-care person, always female

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

Abey
Hey You!

Abscond
to disappear, to go into hiding; the employee has absconded

Acha
See achchaa!

Achchaa!
Okay (from Hindi); Good

Address diary
address book

Aerial
radio antenna (noun)

Aerobridge
jetway, the stucture that connects the airport terminal to a parked airplane, enabling passengers to enter and exit

Aeroplane
Airplane

Agmark
"Certification standard for food products, and its associated logo"

ahimsa
"non-violence, often referring to Gandhian principles"

air-dash
rush travel by air

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

Akbar Road
(in media) a reference to the New Delhi headquarters location of the Indian National Congress political party

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

Ambassador
an automotive brand, manufactured in India for several decades starting in the 1950s

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

Amrit
mythical potion that enables immortality; created by a massive, prolonged, churning of the seas

Angrez
English person; often generic for any foreigner

Angrezi
"English, the language; or British, the people"

anicut
dam; reservoir

anna
older brother (from Tamil)

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

Ans.
Answer (abbreviation)

Apart from
aside from; "apart from Sundays, the office is open every day"

Apna
mine, our

Are
see arrey

arranged marriage
marriage arranged by parents/relatives

Arrey
Oh! an exclamation of surprise

Asafetida
see Asafoetida, 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 home
an evening reception/dinner party;

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

Aum
See Om

Aur
and (from Hindi); confusing to foreign visitors because of the confusion with the English "or"

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

Avatar
incarnation; an image, sign or animation representing a living being; an alter-image such as in "my casual avatar and my office avatar"

Averagely
on the average

Aya Ram
Someone who should not be taken seriously

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

B.A. Fail
attended college (but did not receive a bachelor's degree)

Baabul
Poetic term for father, dad or home; most often used by forlorn daughters

Baabul
father, dad

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

Baba
saint, grandfather; sometimes used to denote an infant (archaic: was used this way by the British rulers and their servants)

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

Babu
Bureaucrat, clerk, sometimes boss

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

babudom
bureaucracy

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

backside
rear (or a building or room);

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.

Baira
see berra

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

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

Balle balle
A celebratory cry; Hurray!

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

Bandh
General strike, where commerical establishments may be shut down

bandobust
protection arranged and provided by police or other security personnel

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

banian
undershirt

bank holiday
government or public holiday

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

Baraat
Wedding Procession

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

basmati
aromatic long rice grown in India and Pakistan

bata
"allowance, usually for casual labor"

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 (also baira)

Berth
place; sleeper seat on train;

Beta
son, child

Bhabhi
(elder) brother's wife

Bhabi
see bhabhi

Bhai
brother; also "fellow" or "dude" coloquially

Bhaiya
Man, dude; literally brother

bhaji
fried vegetables

Bharat
the hindi name for India (legally equivalent to India); see also Hindustan

Bhi
also

Bhidoo
buddy (in Mumbai?)

Bhindi
Okra, also called ladyfinger

BHK
Bedroom, Hall, Kitchen (when referring to a home, apartment or house, as in 2 BHK)

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

Biscuit
Cookie

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

Blighty
foreign, British;(a British Raj terms, and a variant of the Hindi word vilayati); The Economist magazine has a column called Blighty

Bn
battalion (as in army or paramilitary forces)

Board
Signboard or sign; see also hoarding

board exams
final examinations for 10th or 12th grade conducted by State or Central government school education boards

Bogey
Coach, in a passenger train

Bolo
Say it, Tell me

Bombaiyya
Bombay-speak

Bong
slang for a person from Bengal

Bonnet
Hood (of an automobile)

Boot
Trunk (of automobile)

borewell
deep narrow well machine drilled for water

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

Bowled
Knocked out, from cricket

Bridegroom
groom

Brinjal
Eggplant;(Hindi word is Baingan)

Britisher
Briton

brokers excuse
"(on a sign outside a building, often in South India), No solicitors (brokers, please excuse us, we don't want you coming in or knocking at the door)"

Broking
Brokerage (from the British)

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

Buck up
a term of encouragement, as to someone running in a race; sometimes used in a congratulatory tone

Bulb
lightbulb

Bullet
brand name of a popular motorcycle from Royal Enfield

Bum
butttocks (not vagrant or homeless person)

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

Bunk
(verb), to avoid classes in school

bureau
steel cabinet used as a secure storage space.

Bus!
That's it (from Hindi)

bustee
"dwelling place, slum"

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

bypoll
mid-term elections

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

Cabin
office, cubicle

Calling card
Business card (see also visiting card)

Cantonment
see cantt

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

capitation fees
"fees charged by an educational institution over the approved fee structure in the guise of ""donation"""

Capsicum
bell pepper

Car Park
Parking lot

Cash Memo
Receipt in a retail store

casual leave
leave not covered under designated leaves such as medical leave

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

Chalaan
fine, tax levied by officials

Challo!
Let's go

Chalo
Let's go; also used colloquially in North India to mean "let it be"

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

Chanakya
"someone deviously political or shrewd; Machiavellian; Chanakya was an advisor to an ancient king, ChandraGupta Maurya and wrote a famous book on running a kingdom"

Chappals
Slippers

Chaprasi
Messenger (from Hindi)

chargesheet
formal charges filed in a court

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

Chatni
see chutney

Chawl
Tenement, see also kholi

Cheap
inexpensive, less expensive (with no connotation of poorer quality)

checkpost
"a compulsory stop on a road where goods, passengers, and documents are checked and recorded"

Chemist
pharmacist, see also druggist

Chennai
The new name for Madras, a major Southern City

Cheque
Check (as in a bank check)

cheri
slum

Chief Secretary
"the top bureaucrat in a state government, usually an elite officer of the Indian Administrative Service"

Chiranjeevi
"In marriage invitations, Chiranjeevi may be used as a title next to the groom's name. It may also be shortened as Chi"

chit
a financial scheme in which a group of people put in a fixed amount every month and one of them gets to collect the entire amount by lucky draw each time

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; literally one who guards the courtyard or chowki.

Christian name
first name, see also forename and surname

Chuddies
see Chaddies

chuddies
underpants

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

clean chit
exoneration; a not-guilty verdict

Cloney
mispronunciation of "Colony" which means neighborhood. often heard in North India, esp Punjab

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"

Collector
the top bureaucrat in a district; from the British Raj where the bureaucrat's main job was collecting taxes

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.

coming station
next (bus/railway) station or stop on the journey

communal party
a political party that does not have a secular outlook on religious issues.

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

convent English
"supposedly a highly quality of English; or the speaking ability, thanks to being educated in an English convent (run by Western missionaries.)"

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

convent-educated
educated in a school where English is the primary medium of instruction (may or may not be run by nuns)

cool bar
a stall or shop selling soft drinks or fruit juices

Corporate
Company; "A large corporate in Delhi is interested in hiring my brother"

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

country fellow
villager; a person not used to the ways of the city

countrymade
made without licence or official sanction; often to refer to handmade guns

Couple
two, a few (can be 1-5, maybe fifteen). A couple of friends or a couple of days can mean more than two!

Cousin brother
Cousin, male

Cousin sister
Cousin, female

Cover
envelope, postal envelope, bag (new stamps are issued as "first day covers")

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"

Cream
lotion (such as in hand or body lotion); the older term is "vanishing cream" as different from "cold cream"

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

curd rice
fried rice with yoghurt and light spices

Current came
The power came back on

custodial deaths
suicides; murders in police custody

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"

dandia
Gujarati folk dance where each participants clicks a pair of sticks with others; popular during the Fall (Navratri season)

darshan
view

Daru
Booze, sometimes written as daaru

dasi
female servant; temple courtesan

Deadly
Intense (slang)

Dearness Allowance
cash payment made to employees by the employer to offset the effect of inflation

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

deewana
obsessed with desire; mad with love

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"

Delhi Belly
stomach upset suffered by foreign tourists

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

Departmental store
Any self-service shop, even if small

Desi
countryman; of or from the country (as opposed to city); also used by Indian-Americans to refer to fellow Indians

Deva
Minor god

devi
goddess

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

dhan
wealth; money

Dhania
coriander (seeds); cilantro (leaves)

dharma
religion; righteousness; philanthropy

dharna
picketing

dhikkar
condemnation

dhobiwallah
Washerman or laundryman (washes by hand rather than with a machine)

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

dias
"dais or stage, common misspellig"

Dickey
Trunk (of automobile)

Didi
Elder sister; also used as a respectful term (suffix) for a female older than the speaker

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

doodhwallah
Someone who sells or supplies milk to households; milkman

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

doosra
an advance bal (pitch) in cricket; similar to a curve ball in baseball

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

dost
friend

Double-roti
sandwich bread

doubt
"question as in ""Do you have any doubts on the traininge material I just covered?"""

Dress
Outfit, clothing (for men or for women)

Druggist
pharmacist, see also chemist

drumstick
"Mooringa olifera, a long bean"

dry grapes
raisins

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

durbar
king's court

Earthing
grounding (in electrical circuitry)

Eggetarian
A vegetarian who also eats eggs and egg products

elaichi
"cardamom, a spice used in cooking and as an an after dinner mint"

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

encounter
"euphemism for a killing by police, disguised to look like the accused or convict was trying to escape"

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)

Eve teasing
sexual harassment of a female (often on the street by young males)

Even
also, too; the word "even" as a modifer can show up in the most unexpected place in a sentence, prior to a noun, verb, adjective or as a dangler at the end, even.

Expire
die

Fag
Slang for cigarette

Fagged out
tired, exhausted

family-planning operation
a tubectomy or vasectomy surgery to prevent further pregnancies

Fanaa
to be consumed by a cause; to sacrifice oneself to the cause

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

feni
"a distilled alcholic drink made from cashewnuts (sometime from coconuts), originating in Goa"

Filter Coffee
Brewed Coffee as opposed to instant coffee

firang
foreign

Firangi
Foreigner

Fired
Chastised (not removed from job)

firing
angry reprimand (not dismissal); I received a firing from the boss last week since I was late on a deliverable

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

fisherfolk
fishermen and their families

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."

foot overbridge
bridge meant for pedestrians

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 hand
involvement of a foreign government or its spy agency; often used in reference to alleged Pakistani or Chinese infiltration in India.

Foreign Returned
Having come back from foreign country(an implied privilege for education or employment experience)

Forename
first name, see also christian name

forex
foreign exchange

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,

fundas
fundamentals; essentials

Gaddi
Vehicle (car, truck, even motorbike); Punjabi slang word

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)

gangman
a railway worker whose job is to maintain and check the safety of railway tracks

ganja
marijuana leaves used for smoking

garam
hot

Gaya
(he) has gone or (he) has left

Gaya Ram
See Aya Ram

Get down
disembark (as from a train, bus or other mass transportation)

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

gobar gas
cooking gas produced from a percolation tank for animal feces usually cowdung

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

Gujju
"person of Gujarati origin, from the western state of Gujarat"

gumastha
clerk

gumboots
"knee-high, water-proof, rubber boots"

gunny bags
bags made from jute or hemp

gur
"jaggery, brown unrefined sugar"

gurs
monkeys

Guru
literally teacher; often used for spiritual teacher; in slang, can mean "buddy"

Guru-ji
respected guru; see guru

Gutka
chewable tobacco product; shredded tobacco with nuts, sweeteners and flavors added

Gutkha
see gutka

gyan
knowledge; wisdom; thoughts; attention

Gymkhana
country club; sporting facility;

Haan
yes

Haanji
Yes, sir

Haat
street market, fair

Hafta
weekly payment, usually in reference to a bribe

Hai
is (verb)

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

Hain
is

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

hair fall
hair loss; aloepecia

half ticket
discount ticket as for a child; also pejorative slang for dimwit

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

handwash
"in a south Indian restaurant, a sign pointing a sink for washing hands prior to a meail"

Hare
see harey

Harey
glory to a divine being; such as in "harey ram"; see also hare

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

Harijans
aspirational term invented by Gandhi for lowest castes of Hindus; now called Dalits

Hash
#, ie the pound symbol

Hat trick
Three in a row, from cricket

havaldar
police rank between inspector and constable

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

height of
intolerable extreme of

Helo
Hello

Hero
In a movie, leading man or male star

Heroine
In a movie, leading woman

Hi
see hai

high command
the top leadership in a political party

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)

Hijra
transgender male who adopts feminine gender identity and lives communally

Hindi belt
"Hindi speaking states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand"

Hindustan
casual equivalent to India, more formal term is Bharat. Hindustan does NOT mean land of Hindus (both India and Hindustan are derived from the Indus river).

History sheeter
Person with a long history of violations or crimes

Ho
let there be (verb); would

Ho Jayega Ji
It will be done, sir. This is a wish not a statement of intent and certainly not a promise!

Hoarding
Billboard

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

Hold-all
A rollable canvas bag with straps used to carry mattresses and sheets during train journeys; the product is becoming obsolete now

Holl-doll
see hold-all

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

hooch
"illegally brewed liquor, usually country liquor"

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

Hooligan
Hoodlum, unruly person

Hoon
Am; as in "I am"

Horeca
Sales term, abbreviation for HOtels, REstaurants and CAterers

horn OK please
(on the back of a truck or commercial vehicle) please honk at me if you want to pass me

Hotel
Eating establishment, restaurant

Hullo
Hello

Hum
I (colloquial); We

hundi
collection box

hungama
commotion; celebration

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

Iftar
feast to celebrate the end of the Ramzan period of Islamic fasting

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

immoral traffic
prostitution under The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act

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.

indipop
Indian pop music

inmates
occupants of a building - not necessarily of a jail

Inmates
occupants (not necessarily jail inmates)

innocent divorcee
a divorcee in a marriage that was not consummated; often seen in matrimonial ads

Innocently divorced
divorced from a non-consummated marriage; often seen in matrimonial advertising

Intimate
see "intimate you"

Intimate you
Inform you

Into
multiplied by; see 2 into 4

Invigilator
Monitor, as in an administered test or examination

Ishq
romance, crush

ISI Mark
"A symbol of quality, certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which was formerly known as Indian Standards Institute"

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

item number
a provocative song-dance sequence in a movie (often completely un-connected with the main story)

Jaan
life; also "darling" colloquially

jaggery
"unrefined brown sugar, often sold in chunk form"

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

Jai Ho
All Right! Wow! Praise to you!

Jaiho
See Jai Ho!

Jangal
Jungle, forest; jungle actually originated in Hindi

Jao
Please go (from Hindi)

japat
seizure of assets by court order

Jati
caste (Hindi)

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

Jawan
Soldier, as in "private" in USA

jehadis
Muslim terrorists

Ji
yes sir; also term of respect suffixed to a person or title in authority: such as Teacher-ji or Obama-ji.

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

johad
catchment area for capturing rainwater (in a village or an arid area)

Join duty
start a new job, return to work after a period away

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

kabab
skewered meat

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

Kabhi
sometimes; also, when

kaccha
raw; unprepared; unsophisticated; low quality

Kachra
trash, rubbish

kajal
"cosmetic made from ground lead sulfide or antimony sulfide, used to brighten eyes"

Kal
yesterday, also tomorrow!

kameez
shirt; blouse

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

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

karyakartas
"workers, often volunteers; in a political movement or cause"

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; also possessive conjunction "car ki headlight"

Kindly
Please ("Kindly sign the credit card authorization below"

kirana
a retail (or grocery) store

kisan
farmer

kissa
story

Kitkat
remove fuse assembly in a ceramic circuit breaker; used in domestic and business electrical applications, usage is diminishing

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

Kollywood
"Kodambakkam (Madras) film industry, which produces South Indian (Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada) movies"

Krishna
the hindu god Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu; also a common Hindu name; a river in central India

Kucch
some, few, a little

Kuch
see kucch

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

kurta
"a loose, long shirt with a short collar; worn by men and women"

kuruvai
short-term paddy crop season with a duration of 100-115 days

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

ladies seat
"seat reserved for ladies, as in a train or movie theater"

ladka
boy

Ladyfinger
Okra, a vegetable; bhindi

Lady's finger
Okra, a vegetable; bhindi

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

Lathi charge
police disciplinary action, including attack on crowd using bamboo canes (see lathi)

laxman rekha
firm line that should not be crossed; after a fable in the epic Ramayan

leela
"spectacle, story"

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

LIC policy
"[slang] a life insurance policy (issued by the Life Insurance Company, formerly the monopoly provide of life insurance)"

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)

Loin
mispronunciation of "Lion", often heard in North India. Imaging the humorous implications!

Lok Adalat
people's court

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

Loose motions
diarrhea

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

Maa
Mother

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

madisaar
"Brahmin style of wearing the sari, in south India"

Madras Tamil
"colloqial Tamizh, as spoken in Madras/Chennai"

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

Mahal
palace

Mahatma
a great soul, respected human being; often in reference to Mahatma Gandhi

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

Main
I, pronoun

make a move
leave; I have stayed too long at the party and must make a move

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"

management seats
"seats in an educational institution, which are offerred by the management using its own discretion and/or at a higher fee structure"

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

Marriage
wedding; (rarely using to mean the relationship/institution of marriage); may be used in plural form as in "We went to three marriages last week"

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

Masjid
mosque (an Islamic place of worship)

masti
fun; spirit; euphemism for sexual adventure

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

Matlab
What I mean is (from Hindi)

matrimonials
advertisements in matrimonial columns of newspapers

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

maulvi
Muslim learned man

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)

mediamen
"reporters, papparazi"

Medico
doctor, sometimes medical student or resident

medicos
medical students or doctors

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
see memsahib

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

minority community
anyone who is not a mainstream Hindu

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.

mofussil areas
outlying districts

mohajir
"refugee, used in Pakistan to refer to Muslims who migrated from India during the partition of the country in 1947"

mohalla
locality; neighbourhood

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

morcha
public demonstration for conveying a protest or making a demand

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

Moti
fat female

Moti
pearl

Mruti
mispronunciation of "Maruti", India's most popular small car, made by Suzuki; often heard in North India, esp Punjab

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

Mughal
Relating to the Mughal empire

muhurtam
An auspicious day in the astrological calender when a wedding (or an important venture) can be arranged

Mujhe
Mine (possessive pronoun)

mukhota
mask

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)

mundu
white dhoti in South India

Mungeri Lal
daydreamer; a fictional character who is prone to daydreaming

Munna
boy, young man

Munni
girl, young woman

munsif
low-level judge in a district court

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

Na
No

Naani
maternal grandmother

Nahi
No

Nahin
No, from Hindi

naik
non-commissioned officer in the Indian Army

Namaskar
See namaste

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

Namastey
see namaste

Nani
see naani

nariyal
coconut

native place
wherever one came from

Navratnas
Government-owned companies (PSUS or Public Sector Units) designated for enhanced financial and operational autonomy; literally the Nine Jewles

naxalites
"terrorists with violent/leftist leanings; named after the town of Naxalbari, in West Bengal"

naya
new

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)

neta
"politician, leader"

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

Nikkar
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nekar"

nimbu
lemon

Nirodh
"condom, after the brand name of a government subsdiezed product, distributed to promote family planning"

no encumberances
"no family dependents (for a divorcee from a previous marriage, as seen in a matrimonial ad)"

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

nose cut
a sharp retort or insult; a mark of disrespect

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

NRI
Non-resident Indian, an Indian citizen residing overseas

nullah
stream; watercourse; drain

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

official machinery
government infrastructure; government facilities

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)

opticals
eye-glasses or a shop selling eye-glasses

other backward classes
"Communities in the Indian caste classification system who are below forward castes or upper castes, referred to as OBCs"

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

Oye!
Punjabi exclamation, can convey welcome, surprise, attention, anger, even amorous passion depending on intonation and volume; often repeated Oye!Oye!Oyeeey!

Paalak
spinach, see also saag

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

paati
[Tamil] grandma

Page 3 people
"socialities (who are often featured on Page 3, the society page of a metropolitan newspaper)"

Paining
hurting (my leg is paining)

Pak
Pakistan

Pakora
see pakoras

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

Palak
eyelid

Pallah
see pallu

pallu
free end of a sari that is thrown across the chest and over the shoulder.

PAN
Permanent Account Number, a unique ID for Indian taxpayers

panchakatcham
[Tamil Nadu] Brahmin style of wearing the veshti

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

Paper
test, exam. "How did you do on your Physics paper today?"

Parallely
In parallel (simultaneously in time)

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."

Pata
to know

Pata
mailing address

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."

Peter
"[Tamil Nadu Slang] someone who speaks fluent English (it is assumed that a christian name, Peter, may be asssociated with English speaking persons)"

Petrol
Gasoline

Petrol pump
Gas station

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

PG accommodation
living with a family as a paying guest

Phattey
tall tales, fabrications

phool
flower

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

Plot
(noun), a define, usually semi-developed piece of land; the American equivalent is "lot" or "empty lot"

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)

Punj Mint
literally Five Minutes; practically, a short time (as judged by the speaker, can be 20 minutes to 2 days or forever)

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

Punjabi suit
baggy shirt and trousers worn by women; women from the Punjab region tended to wear these as opposed to saris worn by the rest of Indian women

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
see pyar

Pyar
affection, 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

Raj
royal (not democratic) rule; also used disparagingly as "Liccence Raj" or "Babu Raj"

Raja
king, prince; also a term of endearment for a child

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

reservation
Policy of reserving jobs and seats for certain disadvantaged communities

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

Riks
Risk; common mispronunciation

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

Roti
bread; see also double-roti

Rubber
Eraser (not condom)

Rusticate
Suspend (as in a student from school)

ryots
farmers

Saab
see sahib

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

Saala
wife's brother

saas
mother-in-law

saathi
friend; companion; partner; also used in Indian gay culture to refer to life partner

sabha
cultural association; political assembly or conference

sadhu
"celibate Hindu priest, often clad in saffron"

Sahib
boss, senior person; person in power; also abbreviated as sa'ab.

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

Sajna
my(male)beloved

Sajni
my (female) beloved

Salaam Walikum
Islamic greeting, your reply "Walikum Salaam"

Sali
wife's sister

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

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

Sanam
(my) beloved, male or female

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

Saneema
cinema

Sangh Parivar
"[Hindi] Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its parent organization Rashtriya Syamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its sister organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)"

sanyas
"ascetic, celibate life"

Sardarji
"a Sikh male, slang"

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

sarkari
related to government.

Sat Sri Akal
Sikh greeting

Sati-Savitri
"a devoted wife, after the legendary Savitri (who committed ritual self-immolation when her husband died)"

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

Saya
shadow, ghost

Scale
ruler; "I need a 12 inch wooden scale"

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".

seer
wise man

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

Serial
(on televison) a series or mini-series; could be a soap opera or a sitcom but neither term is popular in India;

seva
service; help

Sexy
Extremely cool, slick

shakti
strength

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

Shanti
peace, calm

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"

shikaara
boats that ply on lakes in Kashmir

Shit
exclamation (not considered as much of a curse word, as in America); Indians may use in polite company; even urban Indian women may use it.

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

Soniye
used to address an attractive female; literally "the golden girl" in Punjabi

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

South India
"States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Pondichery "

Speak in english
Speak English

Specs
Spectacles, glasses

Speed-breaker
Road bump

Spirit
alcohol (as in distilled spirits); may refer to ethyl alcohol as in drinks or methyl alcohol (for cleaning)

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)

Suo motu
on its own motion; A latin legal term, but used mostly in India and Pakistan, for a judge or govt agency acting on it own, without prompting from another party

supari
"hired killer (underworld slang, popularized in Bollywood movies)"

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)

sutradar
troubleshooter; problem-solver

Syrian Christian
"Malayali Christian from Kerala, who have nothing to do with Syria; descendants from the original converts of St. Thomas in AD 35"

tainted
"slang, a modern politician with criminal history or charges against him or her"

Taj
crown, also short name for the Taj Mahal, India's most famous mausoleum, in Agra

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

Tashan
style/attitude

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

Teleshopping
direct buying by consumer, typically via direct response television advertising

tender coconut
"raw coconut, which has green outside and whose water is a popular roadside drink"

Tera
masculine dimunitive possessive pronoun, yours

Tere
yours (dimunitive)

Teri
Yours (dimunitive possesive pronoun)

Thali
Dinner plate, often made of Stainless Steel; see also Thali meal

Thali meal
All you can eat "prixe-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

Thrice
three times

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

Tight slap
hard slap (with a tight, not loose hand)

Tike
see theek hai

Tikka
a small chunk; as in chicken tikka

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

tortoise coil
"after a popular brand, mosquito repellent coil that burned at night and emits light fumes"

Touch wood
knock on wood (for good luck)

Treble
triple

trishul
trident

Tu
see tum

Tube light
traditional (tubular) fluorescent lights

Tubelight
flourescent light

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

Tum
singular you, affectionate form (for someone of equal status). Aap is used for higher status or older; Tu is the dimunitive

Tumse
tum se; can mean from you, by you, because of you

Turnover
Revenue

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

Tyre
Automobile tire

Udipi hotel
"restaurant run by Udipi Brahmins, usually in South India"

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

Under root
Square root, in mathematics

undertrial
jailed inmate who is awaiting trial or whose trial is currently underway

Unkull
Uncle, a reference to any one older or more respected than the speaker; often heard as Unkull Ji

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")"

vote bank
votes of a particular community that is expected to vote in favour of a political party or alliance

Waah!
Wow! (from Hindi)

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

Wash room
see washroom

Washroom
restroom, "bathroom"

WC
Water Closet, ie toilet

Webminar
webinar; British and Indian usage sometimes abbreviates web-seminar to web-minar rather then the common American form webinar

wet grinder
"kitchen appliance used to grind wet grain and lentils, used for making dosa and iddly dough"

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; as opposed to black money

Windscreen
Windshield (of automobile)

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

Works
(noun) factory, plant

would be
"prior to a an event such as a wedding or job; would be boss, would be father in law"

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

Yaar
friend, buddy; in gay culture: partner

yagna
"Vedic ritual with ritual fire, pronounce yagya"

Yallow
Hello (when answering the phone)

Yankland
Pejorative for USA

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

yatra
journey; travel

Yedah
irrational, unbalanced, crazy (slang in Mumbai)

Yesterday night
Last night

You nonsense!
Angry exclamation roughly equivalent to "You're full of sh*t"

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?

Yuvraj
crown prince; heir to the throne.

Zara
a bit;

Zed
Zee (the last letter of the alphabet)

Zindagi
life, living