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."

aam aadmi
the common man

Aao Jo
Goodbye (in Gujarati)

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

abey
Hey You!

Achchaa!
Okay (from Hindi)

Aeroplane
Airplane

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

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

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

Ans.
Answer (abbreviation)

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)

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

averagely
on the average

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

Babu
Bureaucrat, clerk, sometimes boss

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

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

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

Badmash
See hooligan

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."

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

Batchmate
Classmate

Batch-mate
Classmate

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

Bhai
Man, dude; literally brother

Bhaiya
Man, dude; literally brother

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

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

Board
Signboard or sign; see also hoarding

Bogey
Coach, in a passenger train

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

Chaat
Spicy fresh snack foods

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)

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)

Chowk
Urban square, market, major intersection

chowkidar
watchman

christian name
first name, see also forename and surname

Chuddies
Underpants

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

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

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

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"

Departmental store
Any self-service shop, even if small

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

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

dhania
coriander (seeds); cilantro (leaves)

Dickey
Trunk (of automobile)

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

Donkey's years
A long time

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

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"

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

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

Full stop
Period, at the end of a sentence

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

gharwali
wife, housewife

Ghee
Clarified butter, often used as a cooking medium

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

Good name
Name

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

gora
slang for "white" person, foreigner,

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;

gutka
chewable tobacco product

gymkhana
country club; sporting facility;

Haanji
Yes, sir

hafta
weekly payment, usually "bribe"

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

handle
handlebar of bicycle, steering wheel of car

Hash
#, ie the pound symbol

Hat trick
Three in a row, from cricket

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

hawala
undocumented foreign exchange transactions (not legally permitted)

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

heeng
see asofoetida

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

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)

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"

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

Jangal
Jungle, forest; jungle actually originated in Hindi

Jao
Please go (from Hindi)

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

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

kharif
autumn; autumn harvest as distinct from rabi

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

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

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

Ladyfinger
Okra, a vegetable

Lady's finger
Okra, a vegetable

Lakh
Hundred Thousand (see Crore)

Lift
Elevator

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

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

local
suburban train (in Mumbai)

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.

Maane
What I mean is (from Hindi)

Madam
Respectful term for women - same as Ma'am

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

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

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."

masjid
mosque (an Islamic place of worship)

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

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")

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.

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)

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

munni
girl, young woman

mushaira
a public gathering of Urdu poets,

My Mrs.
My wife..

Nahin
No, from Hindi

Namaskar
See namaste

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

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"

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)

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."

PAN
Permanent Account Number, a unique ID for Indian taxpayers

Parallely
In parallel

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)

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

Pindrop silence
Literaly absolute silence

Plinth
Built up area, in real estate

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

pphutt
broken, stopped working, literally torn;

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

puncher
puncture

Puncture
Flat (for an automobile tire)

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

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"

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 :)

rabi
spring; spring harvest

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)

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

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

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

Sexy
Extremely cool, slick

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tap
Faucet

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

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

throw up
bring up, cause to happen,

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

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

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.

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

Torch
Flashlight

treble
triple

tubelight
flourescent light

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".

vakalatnaama
affidavit

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

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)