States in India

Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Andhra Pradesh - Arunachal Pradesh - Assam - Chhattisgarh - Dadra and Nagar Haveli - Gujarat - Jammu and Kashmir - Karnataka - Kerala - Maharashtra - Manipur - Meghalaya - Mizoram - Nagaland - Orissa - Punjab - Rajasthan - Sikkim - Tamil Nadu - Tripura - Uttar Pradesh - West Bengal

Selling to India White Paper

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Politically, India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven "union territories". For business people from overseas, it is important to be aware that there are significant differences in doing business among the various states: language, culture, industries, religious mix, food habits, ethnicity are some of the variables. Economically, some states are much stronger than others.

States:

- Andhra Pradesh

- Arunachal Pradesh

- Assam

- Bihar

- Chhattisgarh

- Goa

- Haryana

- Himachal Pradesh

- Jammu and Kashmir

- Jharkhand

- Karnataka

- Kerala

- Madhya Pradesh

- Maharashtra

- Meghalaya

- Orissa

- Punjab

- Rajasthan

- Sikkim

- Tamil Nadu

- Uttar Pradesh

- Uttarakhand

- West Bengal

Union Territories:

- Andaman and Nicobar Islands

- Chandigarh

- Dadra and Nagar Haveli

- Daman and Diu

- Lakshadweep

- National Capital Territory of Delhi

- Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry)

Indian English Dictionary

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

Sample Word: 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."

Sample Word: 2 by 4
Two divided by Four

Sample Word: 2 into four
Two times four

Sample Word: Aao Jo
Goodbye (in Gujarati)

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

Sample Word: Achchaa!
Okay (from Hindi); Good

Sample Word: Aeroplane
Airplane

Sample Word: Alloh
Hello (when answering the phone)

Sample Word: Allright
okay

Sample Word: Almari
Cupboard, cabinet, sometimes closet; also called "almirah"

Sample Word: Almirah
Cupboard, cabinet, sometimes closet; also called "almari"

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

Sample Word: Alright
Okay

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

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

Sample Word: Ans.
Answer (abbreviation)

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

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

Sample Word: Babu
Bureaucrat, clerk, sometimes boss

Sample Word: Babu English
Pejorative for grammatically incorrect English written by a fellow Indian

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

Sample Word: Badmash
See hooligan

Sample Word: Balance Sheet, left side
Where liabilites are recorded, NOT assets

Sample Word: Balance Sheet, right side
Where Assets are recorded, not Liabilities

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

Sample Word: Bandh
General strike, where commerical establishments may be shut down

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

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

Sample Word: Batchmate
Classmate

Sample Word: Batch-mate
Classmate

Sample Word: Bearer
Waiter

Sample Word: Berra
Waiter (also baira)

Sample Word: Bhaiya
Man, dude; literally brother

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

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

Sample Word: Board
Signboard or sign; see also hoarding

Sample Word: Bogey
Coach, in a passenger train

Sample Word: Bonnet
Hood (of an automobile)

Sample Word: Boot
Trunk (of automobile)

Sample Word: Bowled
Knocked out, from cricket

Sample Word: Brinjal
Eggplant;(Hindi word is Baingan)

Sample Word: Britisher
Briton

Sample Word: Broking
Brokerage (from the British)

Sample Word: Brother
May be a brother, or cousin; see real brother

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

Sample Word: Bunk
(verb), to avoid classes in school

Sample Word: Bus!
That's it (from Hindi)

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

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

Sample Word: Calling card
Business card (see also visiting card)

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

Sample Word: Car Park
Parking lot

Sample Word: Cash Memo
Receipt in a retail store

Sample Word: Cent Percent
100 percent

Sample Word: Chaat
Spicy fresh snack foods

Sample Word: Challo!
Let's go

Sample Word: Chappals
Slippers

Sample Word: Chaprasi
Messenger (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Chawl
Tenement, see also kholi

Sample Word: Chennai
The new name for Madras, a major Southern City

Sample Word: Cheque
Check (as in a bank check)

Sample Word: Chowk
Urban square, market, major intersection

Sample Word: Chuddies
see Chaddies

Sample Word: Ciggy
Slang for cigarette

Sample Word: Cinema
Movie, or movie theater

Sample Word: Cinema Hall
Movie Theater

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Cousin brother
Cousin, male

Sample Word: Cousin sister
Cousin, female

Sample Word: Crore
Ten million (also see "lakh")

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

Sample Word: Cupboard
Cabinet

Sample Word: Current came
The power came back on

Sample Word: Daru
Booze, sometimes written as daaru

Sample Word: Daaru
Booze, sometimes written as daru

Sample Word: Dacoit
Robber

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

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

Sample Word: Deadly
Intense (slang)

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

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

Sample Word: Departmental store
Any self-service shop, even if small

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

Sample Word: Dickey
Trunk (of automobile)

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

Sample Word: District
County, in local government

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

Sample Word: Donkey's years
A long time

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

Sample Word: Dress
Outfit, clothing (for men or for women)

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

Sample Word: Eggetarian
A vegetarian who also eats eggs and egg products

Sample Word: Eleven number bus
Slang for walking

Sample Word: Email ID
Email Address; "Please give me your Email ID"

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

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

Sample Word: Fag
Slang for cigarette

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

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

Sample Word: Filter Coffee
Brewed Coffee as opposed to instant coffee

Sample Word: Firangi
Foreigner

Sample Word: Fired
Chastised (not removed from job)

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

Sample Word: Flat
Apartment

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

Sample Word: Scheme
Plan, project; (no negative connotation)

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

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

Sample Word: Sexy
Extremely cool, slick

Sample Word: Shri
Also Shree, meaning Mister, Mr.

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

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

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

Sample Word: Six by three or six upon three
Six divided by three

Sample Word: Sixer
Home run, slang from cricket

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

Sample Word: Slow
Soft; "Please speak slow."

Sample Word: Speak in english
Speak English

Sample Word: Specs
Spectacles, glasses

Sample Word: Speed-breaker
Road bump

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

Sample Word: Stand for election
Run for elective office

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

Sample Word: Status family
Rich people

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

Sample Word: STD
Long-distance phone call, Subscriber Trunk Dialling.

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

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

Sample Word: Studio
Photo studio

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

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

Sample Word: Tap
Faucet

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

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

Sample Word: Tehsil
A subdivision of a county

Sample Word: Telecon
Telephone conference, or business telephone call

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

Sample Word: Thali meal
All you can eat "prixe-fixe" usually at mid-priced restaurant.

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

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

Sample Word: Tieup
Joint Venture; agreement to work together

Sample Word: Tie-up
Joint Venture; agreement to work together

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

Sample Word: Tiffin carrier
Lunch Box; lunch pail

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

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

Sample Word: Toilet
Restroom, see also W.C.

Sample Word: Too good
Very good; "Your presentation today was too good."

Sample Word: Torch
Flashlight

Sample Word: Turnover
Revenue

Sample Word: Tyre
Automobile tire

Sample Word: Under root
Square root, in mathematics

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

Sample Word: Updation
Updating

Sample Word: Upgradation
Process of applying an upgrade

Sample Word: Upto
Up to

Sample Word: Use and throw
Disposable

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

Sample Word: Vela
To have free time. (in Southern India)

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

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

Sample Word: Visiting card
Business card (see also calling card")"

Sample Word: Waah!
Wow! (from Hindi)

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

Sample Word: WC
Water Closet, ie toilet

Sample Word: White money
Also white; money that is shown on the books and duly taxed; as opposed to black money

Sample Word: Windscreen
Windshield (of automobile)

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

Sample Word: Works
(noun) factory, plant

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

Sample Word: Yallow
Hello (when answering the phone)

Sample Word: Yankland
Pejorative for USA

Sample Word: Yesterday night
Last night

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

Sample Word: Your good name please?
What is your name?

Sample Word: Zed
Zee (the last letter of the alphabet)

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

Sample Word: Football
Soccer; American football is not played in India

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

Sample Word: Footpath
Sidewalk

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

Sample Word: Freak Out
Let's have fun (slang)

Sample Word: French beard
A goatee

Sample Word: Fresher
Freshman; first year student, new employee, inexperienced worker

Sample Word: Full stop
Period, at the end of a sentence

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

Sample Word: Ghee
Clarified butter, often used as a cooking medium

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

Sample Word: Godown
Warehouse

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

Sample Word: Goggles
Sunglasses, also swimming goggles

Sample Word: Good name
Name

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Haanji
Yes, sir

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

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

Sample Word: Half-pants
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nekar"

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

Sample Word: Hash
#, ie the pound symbol

Sample Word: Hat trick
Three in a row, from cricket

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

Sample Word: Hero
In a movie, leading man or male star

Sample Word: Heroine
In a movie, leading woman

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

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

Sample Word: History sheeter
Person with a long history of violations or crimes

Sample Word: Hoarding
Billboard

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

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

Sample Word: Hooligan
Hoodlum, unruly person

Sample Word: Hotel
Eating establishment, restaurant

Sample Word: Hullo
Hello

Sample Word: I am understanding it
I have already understood.

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: 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.

Sample Word: Intimate you
Inform you

Sample Word: Invigilator
Monitor, as in an administered test or examination

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

Sample Word: Jangal
Jungle, forest; jungle actually originated in Hindi

Sample Word: Jao
Please go (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Jawan
Soldier, as in "private" in USA

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

Sample Word: Keep
Put (verb)

Sample Word: Keep
Pejorative for mistress (noun)

Sample Word: Kem Cho
How are you, in Gujarati

Sample Word: Kholi
In Mumbai, tenement; see also chawl

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Lac
Hundred Thousand (see Crore)

Sample Word: Lacuna
Gap, shortcoming, failing

Sample Word: Ladyfinger
Okra, a vegetable; bhindi

Sample Word: Lady's finger
Okra, a vegetable; bhindi

Sample Word: Lakh
Hundred Thousand (see Crore)

Sample Word: Lift
Elevator

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

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

Sample Word: Lorry
Truck

Sample Word: 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.

Sample Word: Maane
What I mean is (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Madam
Respectful term for women - same as Ma'am

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

Sample Word: 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

Sample Word: Mama
Maternal uncle, also street talk for "cop"

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

Sample Word: Matlab
What I mean is (from Hindi)

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Memsaab
see memsahib

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

Sample Word: Messrs.
For a corporation e.g. Messr Procter & Gamble

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

Sample Word: Miscreants
People up to no good; petty criminals;

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

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

Sample Word: Mixie
Grinder, blender

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

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

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

Sample Word: My Mrs.
My wife..

Sample Word: Nahin
No, from Hindi

Sample Word: Namaskar
See namaste

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

Sample Word: Near and Dear
Friends and family

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

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

Sample Word: Nekar
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nikkar"

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

Sample Word: Nikkar
Shorts; for knickerbockers; also "nekar"

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

Sample Word: NRI
Non-resident Indian, an Indian citizen residing overseas

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

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

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

Sample Word: Obsequies
Funeral rituals

Sample Word: Off it
Switch it Off

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

Sample Word: On it
Switch it On

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

Sample Word: Oof!
Show distress or frustation (ugh)

Sample Word: Open
Switch on (Open the airconditioner please)

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

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

Sample Word: Parallely
In parallel (simultaneously in time)

Sample Word: Passed out
Graduated (from college)

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Peon
Unskilled office helper

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

Sample Word: Petrol
Gasoline

Sample Word: Petrol pump
Gas station

Sample Word: PIN code
Postal Code, (PIN= Postal Index Number);

Sample Word: Pindrop silence
Literaly absolute silence

Sample Word: Plinth
Built up area, in real estate

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

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

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

Sample Word: Puncture
Flat (for an automobile tire)

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

Sample Word: Purse
Purse, or wallet for a man or woman

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

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

Sample Word: Ragging
Hazing, harrasment of new students by seniors

Sample Word: Raise an invoice
Create an invoice

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

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

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

Sample Word: Regularise
Legitmize

Sample Word: Rest house
See "dak bungalow"

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

Sample Word: Rick
Rickshaw

Sample Word: Ring
Phone call. "Give me a ring tomorrow."

Sample Word: Rubber
Eraser (not condom)

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

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

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

Sample Word: Chemist
pharmacist, see also druggist

Sample Word: Druggist
pharmacist, see also chemist

Sample Word: Local
suburban train (in Mumbai)

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

Sample Word: Vanaspati
of vegetable/vegetarian origin; vanaspati oil

Sample Word: Roti
bread; see also double-roti

Sample Word: Double-roti
sandwich bread

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

Sample Word: Forename
first name, see also christian name

Sample Word: Christian name
first name, see also forename and surname

Sample Word: Surname
last name, see also forename and christian name

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Throw up
bring up, cause to happen,

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

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

Sample Word: Stand
trade show booth/exhibit

Sample Word: Crockery
chinaware; fragile dishes

Sample Word: Cabin
office, cubicle

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

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

Sample Word: Pphutt
broken, stopped working, literally torn;

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

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

Sample Word: Sub
everything (from Hindi)

Sample Word: Saneema
cinema

Sample Word: Puncher
puncture

Sample Word: Handle
handlebar of bicycle, steering wheel of car

Sample Word: Into
multiplied by; see 2 into 4

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

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

Sample Word: Franking machine
postage meter

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

Sample Word: Pay-in slip
deposit slip (at a bank)

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

Sample Word: Averagely
on the average

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

Sample Word: Bitiya
daughter, child

Sample Word: Beta
son, child

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

Sample Word: Stockist
a dealer or retailer who maintains inventory of a particular item

Sample Word: Tubelight
flourescent light

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

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

Sample Word: Vakalatnaama
affidavit, power of attorney

Sample Word: Abey
Hey You!

Sample Word: Sri
Also Shree, Shri, meaning Mister, Mr.

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

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

Sample Word: Treble
triple

Sample Word: Corpus
amount, sum of money

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

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

Sample Word: Masjid
mosque (an Islamic place of worship)

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

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

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

Sample Word: Gora
slang for "white" person, foreigner,

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

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

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

Sample Word: Fagged out
tired, exhausted

Sample Word: Smt.
Shrimati, Mrs., also written as Srimati or Sreemati

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Asli
authentic, real

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

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

Sample Word: Berth
place; sleeper seat on train;

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

Sample Word: Bullet
brand name of a popular motorcycle from Royal Enfield

Sample Word: Capsicum
bell pepper

Sample Word: Chowkidar
watchman; literally one who guards the courtyard or chowki.

Sample Word: Coir
fiber made from coconut husk;

Sample Word: Corporator
elected official in city government, similar to councilman

Sample Word: Creche
daycare center for infants

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

Sample Word: Curd
yoghurt

Sample Word: Dahi
yoghurt

Sample Word: Dhania
coriander (seeds); cilantro (leaves)

Sample Word: Gharwali
wife, housewife

Sample Word: Grease
lubricant (never cooking fat)

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

Sample Word: Gymkhana
country club; sporting facility;

Sample Word: Hafta
weekly payment, usually in reference to a bribe

Sample Word: Hawala
undocumented foreign exchange transactions (not legally permitted)

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

Sample Word: PAN
Permanent Account Number, a unique ID for Indian taxpayers

Sample Word: Inmates
occupants (not necessarily jail inmates)

Sample Word: Khadi
homespun fabric; clothing made from homespun; often worn by politicians

Sample Word: Kharif
autumn; autumn harvest as distinct from rabi

Sample Word: Rabi
spring; spring harvest

Sample Word: Medico
doctor, sometimes medical student or resident

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Saloon
a beauty parlor for women; a barber (for men)

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Horeca
Sales term, abbreviation for HOtels, REstaurants and CAterers

Sample Word: Shuttlecock
"birdie" in badminton, see also shuttle

Sample Word: Shuttle
"birdie" in badminton, short for shuttlecock

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

Sample Word: Jungly
see junglee

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

Sample Word: Chal
see chalo

Sample Word: Durbaan
security guard, doorman

Sample Word: Heeng
see asofoetida

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

Sample Word: Earthing
grounding (in electrical circuitry)

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

Sample Word: Munni
girl, young woman

Sample Word: Aerial
radio antenna (noun)

Sample Word: Acha
See achchaa!

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

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

Sample Word: Helo
Hello

Sample Word: Hallo
hello

Sample Word: Jaan
life; also "darling" colloquially

Sample Word: Kabhi
sometimes; also, when

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

Sample Word: Mai
I (the singular personal pronoun)

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

Sample Word: Mera
mine (masculine possessive pronoun); see also meri

Sample Word: Meri
mine (feminine possessive pronoun); see also mera

Sample Word: Munna
boy, young man

Sample Word: Aum
See Om

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

Sample Word: Zindagi
life, living

Sample Word: Chaikhana
in northwestern India and Pakistan, a tea stall

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

Sample Word: Choli
blouse, upper garment for women

Sample Word: Dalit
a member of the shudra cast, literally "the oppressed"

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

Sample Word: Gajra
floral garland, floral band often jasmine or marigold

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

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

Sample Word: Ghazal
urdu poem, often sung

Sample Word: Goonda
thug

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

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

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

Sample Word: Jati
caste (Hindi)

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Malik
owner, of a company or business or a parcel of land

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

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

Sample Word: Panchayat
a village council, typically consisting of five elders

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

Sample Word: Pir
a Sufi saint or holy man

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

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

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

Sample Word: Sepahi
constable, private; see also Sepoy

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

Sample Word: Address diary
address book

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Mere
Mine (plural possessive pronoun, masculine possessive pronoun)

Sample Word: Deva
Minor god

Sample Word: Mein
In (verb)

Sample Word: Chai
Tea

Sample Word: Prem
Love, also a masculine name

Sample Word: Nahi
No

Sample Word: Mujhe
Mine (possessive pronoun)

Sample Word: Cess
Tax

Sample Word: Teri
Yours (dimunitive possesive pronoun)

Sample Word: Panir
see Paneer

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

Sample Word: Bhindi
Okra, also called ladyfinger

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

Sample Word: Sister
Nurse

Sample Word: Bhabhi
(elder) brother's wife

Sample Word: Bolo
Say it, Tell me

Sample Word: Goli Maar!
See Goli Mar

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

Sample Word: Dada ji
Gramps, Grandpa, old man

Sample Word: Murgh
chicken

Sample Word: Murgh mussalam
the whole chicken (uncut, but cooked)

Sample Word: Salaam Walikum
Islamic greeting, your reply "Walikum Salaam"

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

Sample Word: Baraat
Wedding Procession

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

Sample Word: Sat Sri Akal
Sikh greeting

Sample Word: Angrez
English person; often generic for any foreigner

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

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

Sample Word: Goods train
freight train

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

Sample Word: Khataa khat
quickly, pronto!

Sample Word: Bhromor
bumble-bee (Bengali)

Sample Word: Kutti
female dog

Sample Word: Kutta
dog, male dog; (see also kutti)

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

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

Sample Word: Simla Mirch
Capsicum (green/bell pepper)

Sample Word: Surruchi
tasty (Bengali)

Sample Word: Koi ho
Who's there?!

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

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

Sample Word: 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

Sample Word: Alvida
goodbye

Sample Word: Thug
a cheat, a thief

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

Sample Word: Naani
maternal grandmother

Sample Word: Bhabi
see bhabhi

Sample Word: Golimar
see goli mar

Sample Word: Raag
piece of classical indian music, aka raga

Sample Word: Raga
raag

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

Sample Word: Saag
spinach (in Punjabi), any vegetable (in UP)

Sample Word: Palak
eyelid

Sample Word: Paalak
spinach, see also saag

Sample Word: Haat
street market, fair

Sample Word: Asafetida
see Asafoetida, known as heeng

Sample Word: Baabul
father, dad

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

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

Sample Word: Vakalatanama
see Vakalatnaama

Sample Word: Bn
battalion (as in army or paramilitary forces)

Sample Word: Coy
Company (as in army or paramilitary forces)

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

Sample Word: Touch wood
knock on wood (for good luck)

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

Sample Word: Bindaas
with reckless abandon, carefree

Sample Word: Fridge
refrigerator

Sample Word: Gosht
meat

Sample Word: Funda
(slang) essence, fundamental,

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

Sample Word: Bhidoo
buddy (in Mumbai?)

Sample Word: Yedah
irrational, unbalanced, crazy (slang in Mumbai)

Sample Word: Dada
elder brother; Street boss (Mumbai slang)

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

Sample Word: Kachra
trash, rubbish

Sample Word: Phattey
tall tales, fabrications

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

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

Sample Word: Bong
slang for a person from Bengal

Sample Word: Chaddies
underpants

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

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

Sample Word: Stores
Warehouse, Stockroom (as in factory)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Pakora
see pakoras

Sample Word: Tandoor
Clay oven, high temperature; see Tandoori

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: 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

Sample Word: Chatni
see chutney

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

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

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

Sample Word: Matar
peas, chickpeas; or a dish cooked with peas/chickpeas

Sample Word: 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

Sample Word: Nani
see naani

Sample Word: Shree
See Shri

Sample Word: Kal
yesterday, also tomorrow!

Sample Word: Mahal
palace

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

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

Sample Word: Jai Ho
All Right! Wow! Praise to you!

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

Sample Word: Hi
see hai

Sample Word: Hai
is (verb)

Sample Word: Pyar
affection, love

Sample Word: Ho
let there be (verb); would

Sample Word: Kya
what?

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

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

Sample Word: 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).

Sample Word: Bhai
brother; also "fellow" or "dude" coloquially

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

Sample Word: Jaiho
See Jai Ho!

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Pyaar
see pyar

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

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

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

Sample Word: Shanti
peace, calm

Sample Word: Yaar
friend, buddy; in gay culture: partner

Sample Word: Na
No

Sample Word: Main
I, pronoun

Sample Word: Ki
that; also possessive conjunction "car ki headlight"

Sample Word: Tu
see tum

Sample Word: Kuch
see kucch

Sample Word: Kucch
some, few, a little

Sample Word: Saya
shadow, ghost

Sample Word: 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.

Sample Word: Tere
yours (dimunitive)

Sample Word: Hum
I (colloquial); We

Sample Word: Mere
mine (plural, masculine)

Sample Word: Namastey
see namaste

Sample Word: 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Loose motions
diarrhea

Sample Word: Expire
die

Sample Word: Kindly
Please ("Kindly sign the credit card authorization below"

Sample Word: Paining
hurting (my leg is paining)

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

Sample Word: Hijra
transgender male who adopts feminine gender identity and lives communally

Sample Word: Tike
see theek hai

Sample Word: Saab
see sahib

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

Sample Word: Hoon
Am; as in "I am"

Sample Word: Fanaa
to be consumed by a cause; to sacrifice oneself to the cause

Sample Word: Maa
Mother

Sample Word: Saala
wife's brother

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

Sample Word: Hare
see harey

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

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

Sample Word: Sanam
(my) beloved, male or female

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

Sample Word: Arrey
Oh! an exclamation of surprise

Sample Word: Are
see arrey

Sample Word: Aaja
aa ja; come here!

Sample Word: Tikka
a small chunk; as in chicken tikka

Sample Word: Sajna
my(male)beloved

Sample Word: Sajni
my (female) beloved

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

Sample Word: Ishq
romance, crush

Sample Word: Hain
is

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

Sample Word: Gaya
(he) has gone or (he) has left

Sample Word: Pata
to know

Sample Word: Pata
mailing address

Sample Word: Moti
fat female

Sample Word: Moti
pearl

Sample Word: Bhi
also

Sample Word: Apna
mine, our

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

Sample Word: Zara
a bit;

Sample Word: Haan
yes

Sample Word: Chalaan
fine, tax levied by officials

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

Sample Word: Balle balle
A celebratory cry; Hurray!

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

Sample Word: Intimate
see "intimate you"

Sample Word: Baira
see berra

Sample Word: Cantonment
see cantt

Sample Word: Guru-ji
respected guru; see guru

Sample Word: Tera
masculine dimunitive possessive pronoun, yours

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

Sample Word: Aayah
nanny or elder-care person, always female

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

Sample Word: Tashan
style/attitude

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

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

Sample Word: Gutkha
see gutka

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: Riks
Risk; common mispronunciation

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

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

Sample Word: ahimsa
"non-violence, often referring to Gandhian principles"

Sample Word: air-dash
rush travel by air

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

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

Sample Word: Angrezi
"English, the language; or British, the people"

Sample Word: anicut
dam; reservoir

Sample Word: anna
older brother (from Tamil)

Sample Word: arranged marriage
marriage arranged by parents/relatives

Sample Word: Aya Ram
Someone who should not be taken seriously

Sample Word: babudom
bureaucracy

Sample Word: backside
rear (or a building or room);

Sample Word: bandobust
protection arranged and provided by police or other security personnel

Sample Word: banian
undershirt

Sample Word: bank holiday
government or public holiday

Sample Word: basmati
aromatic long rice grown in India and Pakistan

Sample Word: bata
"allowance, usually for casual labor"

Sample Word: bhaji
fried vegetables

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

Sample Word: Bombaiyya
Bombay-speak

Sample Word: borewell
deep narrow well machine drilled for water

Sample Word: 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)"

Sample Word: bureau
steel cabinet used as a secure storage space.

Sample Word: bustee
"dwelling place, slum"

Sample Word: bypoll
mid-term elections

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

Sample Word: casual leave
leave not covered under designated leaves such as medical leave

Sample Word: 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"

Sample Word: chargesheet
formal charges filed in a court

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

Sample Word: cheri
slum

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

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

Sample Word: 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

Sample Word: chuddies
underpants

Sample Word: clean chit
exoneration; a not-guilty verdict

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

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: cool bar
a stall or shop selling soft drinks or fruit juices

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

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

Sample Word: curd rice
fried rice with yoghurt and light spices

Sample Word: custodial deaths
suicides; murders in police custody

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

Sample Word: darshan
view

Sample Word: dasi
female servant; temple courtesan

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

Sample Word: deewana
obsessed with desire; mad with love

Sample Word: Delhi Belly
stomach upset suffered by foreign tourists

Sample Word: devi
goddess

Sample Word: dhan
wealth; money

Sample Word: dharma
religion; righteousness; philanthropy

Sample Word: dharna
picketing

Sample Word: dhikkar
condemnation

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

Sample Word: dias
"dais or stage, common misspellig"

Sample Word: doodhwallah
Someone who sells or supplies milk to households; milkman

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

Sample Word: dost
friend

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

Sample Word: drumstick
"Mooringa olifera, a long bean"

Sample Word: dry grapes
raisins

Sample Word: durbar
king's court

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: firang
foreign

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

Sample Word: fisherfolk
fishermen and their families

Sample Word: foot overbridge
bridge meant for pedestrians

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

Sample Word: forex
foreign exchange

Sample Word: fundas
fundamentals; essentials

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

Sample Word: ganja
marijuana leaves used for smoking

Sample Word: garam
hot

Sample Word: Gaya Ram
See Aya Ram

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

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

Sample Word: gumastha
clerk

Sample Word: gumboots
"knee-high, water-proof, rubber boots"

Sample Word: gunny bags
bags made from jute or hemp

Sample Word: gur
"jaggery, brown unrefined sugar"

Sample Word: gurs
monkeys

Sample Word: gyan
knowledge; wisdom; thoughts; attention

Sample Word: hair fall
hair loss; aloepecia

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

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

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

Sample Word: havaldar
police rank between inspector and constable

Sample Word: height of
intolerable extreme of

Sample Word: high command
the top leadership in a political party

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

Sample Word: hooch
"illegally brewed liquor, usually country liquor"

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

Sample Word: hundi
collection box

Sample Word: hungama
commotion; celebration

Sample Word: Iftar
feast to celebrate the end of the Ramzan period of Islamic fasting

Sample Word: immoral traffic
prostitution under The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act

Sample Word: indipop
Indian pop music

Sample Word: inmates
occupants of a building - not necessarily of a jail

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

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

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

Sample Word: jaggery
"unrefined brown sugar, often sold in chunk form"

Sample Word: japat
seizure of assets by court order

Sample Word: jehadis
Muslim terrorists

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

Sample Word: kabab
skewered meat

Sample Word: kaccha
raw; unprepared; unsophisticated; low quality

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

Sample Word: kameez
shirt; blouse

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

Sample Word: kirana
a retail (or grocery) store

Sample Word: kisan
farmer

Sample Word: kissa
story

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: ladka
boy

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

Sample Word: leela
"spectacle, story"

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

Sample Word: Lok Adalat
people's court

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

Sample Word: Madras Tamil
"colloqial Tamizh, as spoken in Madras/Chennai"

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

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

Sample Word: masti
fun; spirit; euphemism for sexual adventure

Sample Word: matrimonials
advertisements in matrimonial columns of newspapers

Sample Word: maulvi
Muslim learned man

Sample Word: mediamen
"reporters, papparazi"

Sample Word: medicos
medical students or doctors

Sample Word: minority community
anyone who is not a mainstream Hindu

Sample Word: mofussil areas
outlying districts

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

Sample Word: mohalla
locality; neighbourhood

Sample Word: morcha
public demonstration for conveying a protest or making a demand

Sample Word: Mughal
Relating to the Mughal empire

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

Sample Word: mukhota
mask

Sample Word: mundu
white dhoti in South India

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

Sample Word: munsif
low-level judge in a district court

Sample Word: naik
non-commissioned officer in the Indian Army

Sample Word: nariyal
coconut

Sample Word: native place
wherever one came from

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

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

Sample Word: naya
new

Sample Word: neta
"politician, leader"

Sample Word: nimbu
lemon

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

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

Sample Word: nose cut
a sharp retort or insult; a mark of disrespect

Sample Word: nullah
stream; watercourse; drain

Sample Word: official machinery
government infrastructure; government facilities

Sample Word: opticals
eye-glasses or a shop selling eye-glasses

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

Sample Word: paati
[Tamil] grandma

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

Sample Word: Pak
Pakistan

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

Sample Word: panchakatcham
[Tamil Nadu] Brahmin style of wearing the veshti

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

Sample Word: PG accommodation
living with a family as a paying guest

Sample Word: phool
flower

Sample Word: reservation
Policy of reserving jobs and seats for certain disadvantaged communities

Sample Word: ryots
farmers

Sample Word: saas
mother-in-law

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

Sample Word: sabha
cultural association; political assembly or conference

Sample Word: sadhu
"celibate Hindu priest, often clad in saffron"

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

Sample Word: sanyas
"ascetic, celibate life"

Sample Word: Sardarji
"a Sikh male, slang"

Sample Word: sarkari
related to government.

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

Sample Word: seer
wise man

Sample Word: seva
service; help

Sample Word: shakti
strength

Sample Word: shikaara
boats that ply on lakes in Kashmir

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

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

Sample Word: sutradar
troubleshooter; problem-solver

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

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

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

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

Sample Word: trishul
trident

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

Sample Word: undertrial
jailed inmate who is awaiting trial or whose trial is currently underway

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

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

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

Sample Word: yagna
"Vedic ritual with ritual fire, pronounce yagya"

Sample Word: yatra
journey; travel

Sample Word: Yuvraj
crown prince; heir to the throne.

Sample Word: Scale
ruler; "I need a 12 inch wooden scale"

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

Sample Word: Washroom
restroom, "bathroom"

Sample Word: Bum
butttocks (not vagrant or homeless person)

Sample Word: Pallah
see pallu

Sample Word: Sali
wife's sister

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

Sample Word: Rusticate
Suspend (as in a student from school)

Sample Word: 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.

Sample Word: Bridegroom
groom

Sample Word: Bulb
lightbulb

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

Sample Word: 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"

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

Sample Word: Biscuit
Cookie

Sample Word: Biskoot
See biscuit

Sample Word: At home
an evening reception/dinner party;

Sample Word: Tube light
traditional (tubular) fluorescent lights

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

Sample Word: Holl-doll
see hold-all

Sample Word: Wash room
see washroom

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

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

Sample Word: Teleshopping
direct buying by consumer, typically via direct response television advertising

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

Sample Word: Thrice
three times

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

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

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