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Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: uni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0BB8_uni0BCD ),

Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: uni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0BB8_uni0BCD ), is a type of mixed language spoken I

the city of Chennai, India (previously known as Madras). It is a loose polyglot blend

of Tamil and English, with loanwords from Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Urdu. The term

therefore is Tamil for Madras language Recently it has become known as Tanglish, as opposed

to Hinglish, of which it is sometimes referred to as a dialect. However, while Hinglish and Tanglish

are both dialects of English, Tanglish cannot be considered a dialect of Hinglish because, unlike

Punglish (Punjabi-English) the Indian parts of these dialects are not related - Tamil, unlike Hindi,

is not in the Indo-European language group.

After Madras Bashai became somewhat common in Madras, it became a source of satire for

early Kollywood movies from the 1950s, in the form of puns and double entendres. Subsequent

generations in Chennai identified with it and absorbed English constructs into the dialect, making

it what it is today.

Madras bashai favours Tamil syntactic structures, with heavy use of English words..

The following examples illustrates the heavy use of English words, even for basic concepts:

English Tamil Madras bashai

Go fast! Viraivga Sel! feeda- p!

Go straight! Nerga Sel! (Adverb Verb) Staita po! (Adverb Verb) (also Steittaa po!)

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Code-switching also plays a very important role in Madras bashai. For instance, a person

aggrieved with the English in this article may plaintively wail:

Inta mtiri full- English speak-paa people like me eppai understand paartu?

How are people like me to understand this sort of full English speech?

Or a person may sadly shake one's head at the poor grasp of real Tamil among college students

in the city, and say:

Future generation ellm full- English-tn pcuvnka.

Future generations will all only speak completely in English.

It is important to note that if this were expressed fully in Tamil:

Vaa talaimuai ellm mulukka nkilamtn pcuvnka,

even in a colloquial form (as evidenced by the verb, pcuvnka, as opposed to pcuvrka), the

word choice itself would make the sentence sound lofty and formal; words such astalaimuai are

associated with literature, not everyday speech.

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Standard Tamil Madras bashai Meaning

irukkiy (uni0BB0_uni0BC1uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BAF_uni0BCD) ki () You are there.

irukkiatu (uni0BB0_uni0BC1uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1) ktu (uni0BA4_uni0BC1) it is there.

iluttukkou(uni0BB4_uni0BC1uni0BA4_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BA3_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BC1)

istukinu(uni0BB8_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1uni0BA9_uni0BC1) Dragged

with (participle of Izhukkiradhu (uni0BB4_uni0BC1uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1 - to drag)

kikkou(uni0B95_uni0BC2uni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BBFuni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BA3_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BC1)

iukinu (uni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BC1uni0BA9_uni0BC1) Bring along

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appuram (uni0BAA_uni0BCDuni0BAA_uni0BC1uni0BAE_uni0BCD) applik,appll,appa(uni0BAA_uni0BCD, uni0BAA_uni0BCD,uni0BAA_uni0BCD)

Then

kilittuviuvn (uni0BA4_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1uni0B9F_uni0BC1uni0BA9_uni0BCD)

kciuvn(uni0B9F_uni0BC1uni0BA9_uni0BCD) I'll tear [you] apart.

ink ukrunka (uni0B99_uni0BCD uni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0BB0_uni0BC1uni0B99_uni0BCDuni0BB3_uni0BCD)

inka kuntu,inke park

pannika (uni0B99_uni0BCD uni0B95_uni0BC1uni0BA8_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1) Please Sit Here.

kial pa (uni0BA3_uni0BCDuni0BB2_uni0BCD uni0BA3_uni0BCD)

kalykka(uni0BAF_uni0BCDuni0B95_uni0BCD) You are kidding me.

anka (uni0B99_uni0BCD) annana(uni0BA9_uni0BCDuni0BA3_uni0BCD) There

Thamatham

aagum (uni0BAE_uni0BCD uni0B95_uni0BC1uni0BAE_uni0BCD) Lettaagum(uni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0B95_uni0BC1uni0BAE_uni0BCD)

It would take a while to carry out your service. Some of the service providers use

this phrase to dissuade the customers that they are not willing to carry out the

request now. Typically small eateries in Chennai say this when the restaurant is

yet to commence its operation for business for the day. Autorickshaw and

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Share Auto drivers use this word when

they want to express a view to the customers that they are unwilling to ply

the specified route requested by the customer/commuter.

Readers can understand immediately that this was done to save time, so that in the same period

of time a Madras Tamilar can convey 1.5 times that of a Madurai Tamilar and 5 times that of

a Coimbatore Tamilar (depending on the length of the drawl, like 'yaeeeeeeenunga?') One

anomaly to this shortening rule is, some words get suffixed with the syllable 'ka'. So, summa =

summaka, dhoora = dhooraka.

Alternative pronunciation

Some Tamil words are pronounced differently from Madurai Tamil (considered the

standard dialect). This practice is very similar to other dialects of Tamil. The pronunciation

differences are usually accounted for by morphed and/or deleted vowels.

Questions with binary answers

Questions with yes/no answers are framed by saying the statement whose truth is to be verified

(using the participle if necessary) and then saying aa at the end with a rising inflexion like a

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question. The meaning of the aa is roughly analogous to Is it?. If the statement already ends in

an aa or other interfering vowel sound, then the questioning aa can be made vaa in the interest

of euphonics. Some speakers tend to carry the -aa even into full English conversations from force

of habit. e.g.: U finished it aa? and also sometimes shortened to Finished-aa?

Standard Tamil Madras bashai Meaning

Enna Rajasekaran? (uni0BA9_uni0BCD uni0BA9_uni0BCD?)

Inaa Rajasekaraa? (uni0BA9_uni0BCD ?)

What Rajasekaran?

Gudisai (uni0B95_uni0BC1uni0B9F_uni0BBF) Gudse, Gudchae (uni0B95_uni0BC1uni0B9F_uni0BCD) Hut

Veedu ( 0uni0B9F_uni0BC1) Voodu, Oodu (uni0BB5_uni0BC2uni0B9F_uni0BC1) House

Pazham (uni0BAE_uni0BCD) Payam (uni0BAE_uni0BCD) Fruit

Sappidu (uni0BAA_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BC1) Thunnu (uni0BA4_uni0BC1uni0BA9_uni0BCDuni0BA9_uni0BC1) Eat

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Ematrukiraya (uni0BB1_uni0BCDuni0BB1_uni0BC1) Dabaikeeriya (uni0BAF_uni0BCDuni0B95_uni0BCD) Cheating, Dodging, Evading

Nagarigamaga (7) deegenta, regenta (uni0B9F_uni0BC0uni0BA9_uni0BCD, 9uni0BA9_uni0BCD)

Decent, Decency

naiyandi' (uni0BA3_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BBF) Kalaikuriya (uni0BAF_uni0BCDuni0B95_uni0BCD) Joke

Valikkalai' (uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BB2_uni0BCD) Nogalai' () Is it not paining?

English Madras bashai (uni0BA9_uni0BCD

)

Are you ready? Ready-aa? (ready-?)

Am I late? Late-aa? (late-?)

Is it OK? OK-vaa? (ok-?)

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However, phrases like Late-aa? and Ready-aa? are usually used by the younger generation, and

phrases of Madras Bashai in the above column are never used in polite form, and are usually used

as street Tamil.

Vocabulary

Madras bashai combines words, suffixes and grammar rules of several languages to make new

words. The most common sources are English, French, Dutch, Telugu, Hindi, andKannada.

When it comes to borrowing words from other languages 'Madrassukku nigar Madrasse' (No one

can beat Madras in this). English words can be used in any context without feeling alien.

'wrongu,' 'rightu,' 'yechuse me,' 'adjist,' 'abase,' 'abscond,' 'beetiful,' 'super,' 'fruitu,' 'pilim,'

'figureu,' 'escaaape,' 'akkisdu'(accused) and so on. Hindi has its contributions like 'bejaar'

(;), 'naastha' (uni0BB8_uni0BCD), etc. Telugu: 'naina' (), 'baava' (), 'eppudu' (uni0BAA_uni0BCDuni0BAA_uni0BC1uni0B9F_uni0BC1), 'cheppu', dabbu, duddu(Money) etc.

Examples

Word/phrase Meaning in context

Origin, usage

Aapu adchichu (uni0BAA_uni0BCDuni0BAA_uni0BC1 uni0B9F_uni0BBFuni0B9A_uni0BCDuni0B9A_uni0BC1)

To result in

failure.

Tamil aapu (uni0BAA_uni0BCDuni0BAA_uni0BC1) is a thin triangular wedge (usually made of metal) used in carpentry to split wood or hold half-split

wood. adchichu(uni0B9F_uni0BBFuni0B9A_uni0BCDuni0B9A_uni0BC1) means to hit. So this phrase literally

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means hit/split by a wedge implying a failure

AaaKoa (uni0B95_uni0BCD) Over enthusiastic. Tamil aarva kolaaru (;uni0B95_uni0BCD uni0BB1_uni0BC1 - over enthusiasm).

Adan kokka

makka(uni0B99_uni0BCD uni0B95_uni0BCD uni0B95_uni0BCD)

your sister's son or daughter.

Tamil Ada un akka magan / magal

Aaf-Paayil (uni0BAA_uni0BCD uni0BB2_uni0BCD)

Half-boiled egg.

Vendhum vegathathu.

English Half boiled

Aleka () Smoothly Tamil Aazhaga () (beautifully)

Aalinaal

Alaguraaja(uni0BA9_uni0BCDuni0BB2_uni0BCD uni0B95_uni0BC1)

Jack of all arts. English All in all

Aathaadi (uni0BA4_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BBF) Oh my Lady!!. Tamil Aatha referring to mother;'di'is a suffix that is always added when referring to female while 'da' is used for males.

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Aattaya

poadrathu(uni0B9F_uni0BCD uni0BA4_uni0BC1)

...To steal.

Usage Avan Aattaya

potutan meaning He Stole. Similar

to Abase

panradhu (uni0BB8_uni0BCD uni0BA3_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1)

Madurai Tamil Madurai local slang.

Abase panradhu To steal.

English abase and Tamil panradhu (to do). Also used

as English loot and Tamiludradhu (uni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1), sudradhu (uni0B9A_uni0BC1uni0B9F_uni0BC1uni0BA4_uni0BC1) and amukardhu (uni0BAE_uni0BC1uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0B95_uni0BC1uni0BA4_uni0BC1).

Adho paaru kaaka

A very intelligent way to trick

people and make a fool of them.

This was the method adopted by the great GB for getting

paani pooris.

annty Older woman who is really hot.

Akkisht (uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BB8_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BCD) rogue, Accused, criminal

English Accused

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A-haan (uni0B99_uni0BCD) yes English A-Haa. (When one has just discovered or remembered something)

Allakai' (uni0BB2_uni0BCDuni0B95_uni0BCD)

Meaning a weaker person who lives

in the shadow of a stronger person or

one who has no got no guts to

saywrong about a stronger one.

AlLakai actually came from the

word Alra kai meaning the

person will even clean any shit of a

stronger person.

Typically meaning aweaselly

acquaintance

Use Less Fellow Tamil valathu kai

Allu illa' Shit Scared! No idea.

Alva kudukradhu' Act of

deceiving,chicanery or cheating -

English Leaving someone who believed in you helpless, in the hour of need.

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done very

smartly.Dialogue made famous by

Tamil actor Sathyaraaj.

Allo () Hey, there... English hello. Used to draw attention. Pure Tamil does not have the sound'Ha'

Annthanda po'

(uni0BA8_uni0BCDuni0BA3_uni0BCD ) Go There (go that side)

Tamil Athan andai po. (uni0BA9_uni0BCD uni0BA3_uni0BCD )

Annaathe(uni0BA3_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BCD)

Elder brother.

Often referred to a respectable

person. Also used when one wants

to surrender unconditionally.an

nathe

utturu meaning, Oh Lord please

give me life.

Tamil Annan (uni0BA3_uni0BCDuni0BA9_uni0BCD)

Apeetu (uni0B9F_uni0BC1) To exit quickly/Vanish

Language English [abate-die away], rhyme/antonym of repeatu, as in 'mudhala apeetu apparam repeatu'(First

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from the spot. apeetu, then repeat)

Aani Pudunga

Vendaam- Do not try to play around.

Appalae' (uni0BAA_uni0BCD) Afterwards, later Tamil appuram (uni0BAA_uni0BCDuni0BAA_uni0BC1uni0BAE_uni0BCD)

Asalta (uni0BB2_uni0BCD) To do something very easily.

Etymology not known for certain. Possibly

from Hindi/Urdu 'Aasaan' easy or from English(assault).

Ashtan

To hit someone, or

to steal

something, or consume

something

From Tamil 'Adi'. Example: Parsa ashatu ottan!, or as in Sarakku ashtu parthunindhaba

Attu Synonym

of Dochhu, Waste As is Attu Figaru, Attu Padam Tamilasattai.

Ayye Saying So? in a derogatory way.

From English 'Hey!, as in Ayye, eppo innandre? Tamil Iyo, Iyako

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Baamaayilu Palm oil. English Palm + English oil.

Bondy Unrecoverable

failure Etymology uncertain.

Bucketu

refers to the

female who engages in

'kadalai'(flirting/random talk with

opposite sex)

refers to the bucket used by vendors to sell the ground nuts

in beaches to couples.

Bagilu Hip and region around it.

Hindi bagal (underarm).

Bajaari

A loud, unruly

woman, like a fish-seller.

Urdu bazaar (market).

Bandha/Peteru Stylish Possibly from the style statements of James Bond. (Bond = Bandha)/ TAlking too much english

Batli Derogatory term English From bottle. A reference to a

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for a woman. woman's hourglass shape. Used as Batli maadiri oru figure

Bejaar Nuisance or Boring English language From Badger (Often irrirated)

Belaak Experience the akula

English language From Bela Belaak(Often used as akula)

Bigilu Whistle. English Language From Bugle - taken most probably from

the music of the army.

Baeku Imbecile. Urdu bevkoof (stupid).

Baemani.(Beimaan in

Urdu means a person who has no ethics/

scruples/ integrity and Beimaani means

the trait of dishonesty)

Urdu bae +

imani (without + shame).

Bigjang

Someone who

wearsWesternized clothes and/or

accessories, even sunglasses.

Probably from the Hollywood westernDjango popular in the 1970s in Madras.

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Derogatory.

Bikki (uni0B95_uni0BCD)

Illustrates the

whimsical way girls dump

Chennai guys. Guys never do

that!

From Britannia Milk Bikis biscuit (hand the guy a Milk Bikis

that you'd normally give a kid)

Biscothu

bigwig, usually

sarcastically

meant.

as in 'mama biscothu'(Tamil movie : Oora Therinjukitten

(1998))! Just as they say biskut for biscuit in Hindi. See

also: paruppu

Bhel, Piila Telling Lies. Unknown

Blaydu Boring, worthless

or useless

English blade.Example usage: Dey, blaydu padam

da meaning The film was a drag or A boring film

Buddi

Someone who

wears thick glasses.

Derogatory.

From soda buddi (soft drink bottle). Analogous to Coke bottom glasses.

Balubu Jovial insult. English Bulb. Example usage: Balubu vangniya meaning Got

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an insult?

Chinna Veedu Brothel

Tamil for small house. Usually the concubines/prostitutes

used to stay in a small house which would have just enough room for their business activities.

---

Chanse illai Nothing exists

more than this. ---

Comedy

piece/Dummy piece

Derived from

Tamil Cinema comedies,referring

to a weakling acting too smart

and gets fooled.

Cycle Gapla Derived from the English word Cycle

and Gap

Tamil for trying to get things done without anyone noticing

it

Daar Torn English 'Tear'. Example usage: Mavane, Daaraiyiduve

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Dakaalte also

pronounced as Takaalti or Dakaite

e

To cheat

English 'Dacoit' (which is itself derived from the Hindi

dakaiti). Example usage:Intha dakaalte velai yellam or Avan oru bayangaram-aana dakaitee party Made popular

by Tamil comedian, Goundamani.

Darr Afraid, tensed Hindi 'Fear'. Example usage: Darr aayittan

Dabba Junk. Hindi dabba (box). Used in colloquial speech such as Dabba

padam (junk movie).

Dabbu Money. Telugu dabbu (money). See Also: Dabbu

Dabu Occasion. Hindi/Urdu dafe (times). Do dafe doonga - Meaning I'll give two times. in Madras Slang its "Rendu Daba kuduppen"

Dada Kingpin, ganglord,

don.

Hindi dada (literally paternal grandfather, used as a term of respect among underworld crime families). **More apt

would be Bengali dada (meaning big brother who lays the rules or dictates terms.

Dhanks Refers to Thanks. Romba Dhanks Ba

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Dhavlundu Refers to less.

similar to ravunudu and Damathoondu. Popularized by Rajni

Kanth in the movie Annamalai, when he sees Kushbhu naked in the washroom. Dhamathoondu thuni kooda illa

baa meaning Not even a small bit of cloth in her body.

Domaru Used with prefix 'Poda' to say Poda

Domar.

Word of insult, usually said in a humorous way.

Dum Stamina, strength, Urdu dum breath. Also used for referring to smoking.

Dumeel Untrue, false.

Unknown. Could refer to the sound made by an explosion

that leaves nothing behind, as does a false statement. See also: Reel

Dummy piece

An insignificant

fool pretending to be a genuine

something(rowdy,rhug,rich person)

Dhanda Soru Similar to Allakai useless Fellow

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Dharma adi

Merciless beating,

usually by a group.

Tamil dharma adi meaning just (as in justice) or destined

beating. dharmam = charity/to donate. Dharma adi means free beating.

Dhoda

Synonym of

'Ayye',saying 'So?' in a belittling

manner

Likely from Tamil idho da (here da), could be used

effectively in humiliating manner in the midst of a conversation to ascertain authority over the counterpart in

debate/conversation.

Dhool

A superlative, as

in well done! or kick ass!.

Likely from Hindi dhool (dust), referring to the dust cloud

after a good ass-kicking. 'Dhool' is also used as 'Dhool

kalappitai' where kalappitai refers to the action of starting or kicking up (dust).

Dil

Chutzpah, guts, as in Do you have the

guts to step outside and fight

like a man?!.

Urdu dil (heart), metaphorically indicatescourage.

Ditchu

Drainage derived from English Ditch

and spoken asKawa

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Dokku Unattractive

Woman as in Dokku Figaru. Antonym of Figaru

Dubaakour Consummate liar (Popularized by comedians Chinni Jayanth and Veeniraadai Moorthy)

Dumil udradhu Acting Too Smart

Dhuddu Money. Kannada duddu (money).

DingDong Egg mixed with

gravy.

Famous and delicious food item name in Triplicane. Sourced

from South part of Tamil Nadu.

Dommai Glutton. Carefree. Origin uncertain (Gourmet?). Used mostly by college students.

Doen

Used to refer to

the word DOWN. Eg. DSN Doen

Origin some BPO guy, who misspelled the word. Used mostly by tech support.

Eguru Run fast, Run away, Scold, Jump

(Depends on the

Telugu Eguru, as in Macha, mama varaan, eguru or Sarkkadichi voottukku pona, engappa emmele

egiritaruda orEgiri bus-le erittanda aven. egiRuthal in

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context) normal Tamil means to jump, bounce.

Es agurudhu To escape English From first syllable of the English word 'escape'

Feelingu/Pheeling/Fe

elings

sadness. Also means love

(usually used in a 'mushy-mushy'

sense)

English Feelings, as in Emotions.

Figaru Attractive woman. English figure, as in Oru semma figaru varathu meaning An attractive woman is approaching. Note: Used in neuter

gender.

Free-a-Vidu

Literally let it free. Figuratively, let

bygones be bygones.

Pronounced as Pree-a-vudu.

English free.

Fublic

Public! Famous in

puthupettai and the surroundings

English Public.

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Gabbu

Stink, foul odour.

Often used figuratively to

describe situations,

personalities etc.

Telugu gabbu (stink, foul odor).

Gaajju Sleazy, dirty. For example a Gaajju joke.

Gaali Finished, as

in He's finished!.

Urdu khali meaning empty or finished. Originally

from Arabic.

Gaana paattu A subgenre of Tamil film music.

Hindi gaana (song) + Tamil paattu (song). Used for songs with fast rhythmic beats.

Gaandu to irritate a person Usage gaanda kelappathe. Gaand refers to butttocks

in Hindi. See Also: Kaduppu

Galatta

1. Fracas,

brouhaha 2. Chaos 3. Celebration.

Etymology not known for certain. Possibly

from Turkey (Galata was asuburb of Istanbul known for its nightlife) or from English gala.

Galiju Dirty, Can be used

in any context. Kannada, meaning dirty.

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Widely used to

refer to bit(matter)

Gandhi kannakku Fraudulent

accounting.

Before 1947, when India was fighting against British

occupation, companies and individuals often included Contribution to Freedom movement as an item in

accounting statements. Most often accounting statements would not tally because management funneled money

out. Contribution to Gandhi's freedom movement provided an excellent means to account for the missing money. Hence

the term Gandhi Kanakku. One should apologise to Mahatma Gandhi as this term brings a small amount of disrepute to

him, for no fault of his!!!

Gapsaa Disinformation,

lies.

Connotes deliberate disinformation, as opposed to genuine misinformation. Usually refers to fundamental falsehoods, as

opposed to lame excuses. Comparereel, peela. Most probably related to gabbu (stink), somparable to stinking lies.

Gelichan He won. Telugu gelupu (victory).

Gethu Super, Better than normal.

Origin unknown

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adang goyyangoo

(Figuratively eq

of) My goodness!, Holy

cow!, etc

Tamil Unga akka (your sister's) + makka(magan - son)

Gilfans A person with a

shady background

(This word is of recent origin) Gilfans,Silfans etc have their etymological roots in comedian Chinni Jayanth's repository

of words.

Gujal Fun Ore gujala irundichi machi

Gilma Strange stuff One more from Chinni Jayanth

Gilli Talented Person.

Also called Ghilli, from a street game played with wooden

sticks. Highly became famous after Vijay's blockbuster movie Ghilli

Godavula Gudhi Jump into the fray Root - Goda from the Hindi word for a wrestling pit, Gudhi from Tamil meaning Jump

Goiya,Goyyala

A form of address

similar toMachi. But it can be

interpreted as

Possibly from Tamil for 'guava'.

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dumb or useless

person also.

Golti Telugu speaker. Can be

derogatory.

By reversing the consonants in te-lu-gu to give gulti or golti

Goodhal Trickery, fraud Tamil goodhal (error, mistake). Usually derogatory, as in He

resorted to trickery to win that business deal.

Gumbal Crowd Used in the context of 'Gumbaloda Govinda' 'Gumbala porom'

GumbalOda gOvinda

Usually refers to

situations like peer-pressure, or

societal norms, where individual

beliefs/actions are overridden by

mass reaction. Also refers to

insignificant individual

contributions overlooked in a

Tamil gumbal (crowd), Sanskrit gOvinda(name of Vishnu). Derived from the large crowds of pilgrims at Tirupati. Play

on words gOvinda and the English go or gone.

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group.

Gumbalukku Porandavane

Someone born to a

crowd. Probably to a victim of gang

rape.

Gujjaals Petting, making

out.

Tamil konjal (petting, excess affection) .This behavior is

often shown by Srihari Shankar and Varun Vaitheeswaran

Gujili Young girl, usually attractive and

easily available

invented when there was a heavy influx of Gujaratis into

Madras: Gujju + Kili = Gujili

Gum Paapa

Young girl, usually attractive (large

breasted) and easily available

invented when Indians went to the west and saw large

breasted white skin females: Gum + Paapa = Gum Paapa also referred to as Gumthaax

Goinda Unexpected failure.

Inglipeesu The language

'English', usually Also called Ingleesu or Engleesu.

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in ridicule.

Ippidikaa This way. Origin Tamil from the word Ippadi

Iskool literal meaning of School

Probably in use due to ease for typical Tamil tongue to pronounce iskool. Similar words are Institute is pronounced

asinstoot, Excuse is pronounced as esoosor echoos

Isthukunu po literal meaning taking away

Telling someone to take it away or carrying it away (See also 'Vali')

Itta/Ittinnuva/Isthu

nuva Fetch (someone)

Tamil izhuthu-kondu-vaa (Pull him over here). Also

pronounced as Ista

Jaburu or Jabaradastu

Something similar

to bandha- show off , acting pricey,

like in innaadaa jabardastu paNRE?

from zabardast - Urdu meaning grand, extra ordinary, forceful

Jagaa vaangaradhu To escape from

the scene.

Hindi jagah (space, room) and Tamilvaangaradhu (to buy, to

get). Literally means to get room [to escape].

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Jalaai To have a bowel movement

Hindi Widely believed that a Hindi ignorant Tamil guy read

the word written in Hindi, near the compartment toilet and misunderstood that Jalaai in Hindi meantto shit. Apparently,

the person had readInflammable objects not allowed written as Jalaaishi padaarth mana hai

Jalpu To catch cold. Tamil jaladosham' saLippu (N, common cold)

Jalsa Enjoy probably from Salsa, with its suggestive fast moves and close contact in life. Or from Urdu Jalsa which means

something like a carnival.

Jatkaa

Hindi-speaker, North

Indianperson. Derogatory.

Hindi jhatkaa (cart, also sudden shock). Play of

words Jat and Jhatkaa.

Joadreppai Cobbler. Possibly from Hindi joota (shoe) andEnglish repair or

from Tamil jodi (pair[of slippers]) and English repair.

Jollu Vidurathu To ogle at a girl. Literally means to drool. To look at a girl with open mouth

that one does not realise the saliva dripping.

30

Joot

To

escape/hide/run/give the slip.

Abbreviation of Just out of time; often used in kid's games of

Catch, or Hide and Seek - Waitees for pause, and Jooties for resume.

Jujube/jujupee

Small,

unimportant, easy or minuscule.

Examples:1)Ithu ellam jujupee velai=This is such an easy

(or unimportant) job. 2)Ivan oru jujubee da=He's just small fry (he can't do anything)

Origin possible from a type of candy that could have been

available during the British era. Jujube now freely available

in many countries for very small change.

Kaava Vidradhu Misfielding an easy chance in

cricket

Kabodhi Blind. used in a derogative sense

Kaboor

Anyone of north

Indian origin, whose native

language is Hindi.

Derived from Kapoor, a common north Indian surname.

Kanpiece

Refers to the

English

wordconfuse.

Example : Don't Kanpiece me.., Machi romba kanpiece

panadha da..

KD

1. Petty crook. 2.

An unusually intelligent

English. Old Chennai police abbreviation for either known

delinquent, known depredator or known defaulter or Known Denotified person.

31

criminal.3;Cunning

person

Kacheri Drinking party.

Tamil kutcheri which is a traditional Tamil music concert. Derived as the party 'play' the mouth of the bottles with

both hands like a naadaswaram (South Indian instrument like a saxophone)

Kadalai Verbal flirting.

Tamil kadalai, verkadalai (nut, groundnut). Possibly from groundnut vendors who provided snack food to couples on

the beach, or in trains. Connotes flirting without serious

intentions. See Also: Batting

Kalakaradhu

To impress with

one's performance.

Tamil, (to mix, to stir).

Kalaaikkaradhu

To make fun of

someone, or to belittle someone

Also used as 'Kalasi', Example: College pasanga kalaisiduvanunge!

Kamnatti A clown or a jerk.

An interesting off-shoot of classical Tamil, kamnatti derives

from KaimpeNdaati paiyan which stands for a young widow's son, who is expected to grow up without parental guidance

and hence a kamnatti. Some say, it originated from English sahibs in TN addressing their kids as Come, naughty boy!!

Kakkoos Lavatory. origin from the Dutch kakhuis (shit house)

Kasmaalam

Synonymous

with idiot(the idiot being a litote).

Possibly from Sanskrit kash malam is Sanskrit word with

meaning 'uni0B95_uni0BCDuni0BAA_uni0BCDuni0B9F_uni0BCDuni0BA4_uni0BC1 ' or kash mailam (black dirt). Comparing someone with hair is considered rude in Tamil

culture. Maalamis also a slang word for shit. Some say ' kasmalam' (one word) in Sanskrit means a dirty thing

worthy of discarding.

32

Kattai Referring to a hot

female.

Tamil,Kattai (literally log of wood) - the sturdier higher

quality wood can easily be distinguished by their distinctive curvy grain pattern.

Kattai

Referring to some

one who does not respond. Inert.

Tamil,Kattai refers to wood. Comparable to sleeping/lying like a log.

Kaidhe Donkey. Derogatory word and derived fromKazhudai(donkey) in chaste Tamil

Kandukunu Varen I Will Meet Him

And Come. Tamil Avarai sandhikiren

Kenai Fool. Malayalam kenai (mad).

Keivi An old Woman. Refers to an old woman. Derived fromKizhavi in chaste

Tamil. Mostly used in a derogatory sense.

Kepmaari

Invariably goes with 'moLLa

maaRi' and ' mudichchavikki'

(this term literally means one who

unties knots!!!)

In British times people were given different coloured caps

based on their status in work. The guy who changes the cap (mathurdu in Tamil) is a traitor/thief hence the word

kepmaari (cap-maari).

Ko Ma Po

An abbreviation for the word Kora

Maasathula Piranthavan

meaning a person of premature

birth. Used against a person as a

Tamil Kora Maasathula Piranthavan(Person of premature birth). Piranthavan is pronounced Poranthavan in local

slang. So the abbreviation came to be Ko Ma Po instead of Ko Ma Pi.

33

slight swear word

saying that his brain and other

associated parts have not grown to

their actual capacity because

of his premature

birth.

Kozha adi sandai Major catfight. Tamil kozha adi sandai (water pump fight). Connotes

fighting over who gets how much water and in what order.

Kiichae

Sarcasm about accomplishment

i.e. fat lot you have accomplished

Tamil kizhithai (You've torn it).

Kiithaa

Is it there? used

for objects, things etc eg: dabbu

kiithaa? - is there any money?-

irukkiRathaa? in chaste Tamil

Kiiraana/Kiiraala

Is he/she there?

used for people. eg: kabali

kiiraana? - is kabali there?

irukkiRanaa ? in chaste Tamil

34

Kishnayil Kerosene oil.

(or) 'Krishayil' a colloquial probably due to saying KeRoSeNe

oil quickly.due to its blue colour..krishna oil,lord krishna's blue colour..

Kondhivudu

To mix up the

things in improper fashion or not

aligned.

Common usage in games like carroms, to spread the coins, use coinsa kondhivudu

Koral kudukaradhu

Unnecessarily

showing off by

using loud voice(koral).kudu

karadhu literally meansto give

Kottikaradhu

To eat shamelessly,

especially if the

food is free (OC food).

Tamil kotta To pour/dump. Literally means to dump for

oneself.

Kundhu Sit down! The reuse of an ancient Tamil word. In contemporary formal Tamil, utkaaral. Related to Kannada kuLithukoLLi (please sit

down), ,Telugu koochandi

Kuthu RevelryTamil Tamil kuthu paattu (literally a song with punch!), as in dappaankuthu.

Kutti Synonymous

with figaru. Possibly from Malayalam kutti (young girl).

Kotikiniye Synonymous

with thunutiye. Kotikiniye (had food).

Laard Labakdass A person who English lord

35

thinks very highly

of himself (without any solid

basis for that assumption).

Leevu Holiday.

From English leave, as in leave of absence. Also used in

formal business English as 'leave' (shortened form of leave of absence)

Lollu Bantering.

Fussing.

Tamil for the sound made by a dog (analogous to bow

wow in English).

Lookku vudaradhu

To check someone

out, especially if it's an attractive

person.

English look and Tamil vudaradhu (to let off, to flash).

Implies a much shorter duration and less intensity than jollu vittufication or sight adichification.

Loosu Crazy. English loose as in screw-loose or nut-job. Also see arai-loosu.

Loosule Vudu Let it go. English lose as in Lose it or leave it be/ignore it.

Lowe Puppy Love.

English pronounced like love but with a wreplacing the v. It plays on the accent used in Tamil movies where a

protagonist expresses their affection for someone, usually in a Romeo and Juliet-style situation. It is used to show

contempt for someone who has superficial romantic feelings for another but over-dramatises it.

Lumpaa Lump sum. English Lump sum. Popularized by comedians Goundamani

and Senthil.

Maal / Maalu Any kind of commission paid

to middle men,

36

also used to mean

bribes/money. Usually followed

vettu (maalu vettu - give

commission/bribe). Urdu maal-

saamaan-

material.

Maamool Bribe paid to

police man (Urdu-Hindi)Maamool = money.

Machi Synonymous with dude, used in

a positive sense.

Tamil machinan, colloquial machan (wife's brother). Implies

familiarity, cannot be used with strangers. See also maams.

Majaa Fun (Hindi-Urdu) Mazaa = 'fun'.

Mama or Mamey

refers to either a

policeman or pimp depending on the

context.

Tamil mama = uncle. Not to be confused with maams.

Mama Veedu Brothel, bar Tamil for uncle's house. Usually the uncle's house was the main centre for a group of people to have a good time.

Mami

refers to either a brahmin

girl/woman, or a

middle-aged woman in general,

depending on the context.

Tamil for aunt.

37

Mamiyaar veedu refers to jail,

police lock-up Tamil maamiyaar = mother-in-law; veedu = house;.

Mangaattha

refers to a 3-card game played on

street by con-men to lure a passer-by

to steal their money. Related

phrases are 'Ulle-Veliye' (In-Out)

refers to the sleight of hand

that the card dealer uses to

move the cards around

Refers to the Queen of spades. (literal Tamil origin Mangal + Aatha = dark complexioned woman)

Maanja

refers to an

additive added to make the kites

string (also called Noolu) stronger,

the additive is apparently a

concotion of tar,

glass pieces, dogs shit and battery

covers. This additive when

applied on the string makes the

The glass powdered based chemical used in kite strings used in deal fights in kite flying usage mamey deala innika banava

ashcitunga.

38

string strong for

kite (called Banas) fights commonly

referred to as Deal.

Manjaa Soru

refers to a bravery

of Men. Related phrases are

'Nenjula Manjaa soru irukaaa

maaamu?? meaning i will

beat the crap out of you so that i

will bring your bile out of you. (which

is yellow in colour

hence Manja Soru - meaning Yellow

rice - Bile)

Maramandai Wooden head. Tamil origin Maram + Mandai = Tree head.

Mattai

To become flat

due to excessive intake of alcoholic

tuff. Also used for Cricket bat.

Example: paiyan over a sarakku adichitu mattai aayitanba!!.

Massa massa

Refers to a sooper

figure whose body mass index is a

little high and

English Full of mass

39

moves lazily.

Mayiru / Mayiraandi

Literally refers to

hair, but used to abuse a person 'as

worthless as a hair-strand'.

Mayir - Ancient Tamil for 'hair', Poda Mayiru or Poda

Mayiraandi (Poda-Off you go, Mayir-hair, Aandi-loser)

Meteru Bribe (used as a question

mostly/surprise)

Tamil --

Meyaaluma Really? (used as an exclamation of

disbelief/surprise)

Tamil Mey = Truth.

Mokkai group Superlative usage of blaydu

This is a derivative of the wordMokkaiyappar who was a king, famous for his blaydu jokes. (Poor Jokes - PJ)

Mokkai

A person who cracks really bad

jokes or a bad

joke.

This is a derivative of the wordMokkaiyappar who was a

king, famous for his blaydu jokes. (Poor Jokes - PJ)

Mucha Referring to urine Sometimes MUCHA is referred asUCCHA Probably from

CHITTOOR SLANG.

Muniyammaa

Refers to a woman belonging to the

lower economic strata - usually a

slum dweller in urban Chennai.

Antonym of Mary. Possibly (Sanskrit)Muni + Amma = ascetic lady.

Mudchavikee Literally means a

person who unties For meaning refer to molla maari

40

knots.

Military hotel

Restaurant that

serves non-vegetarian food.

The armed forces are thought to have fewer vegetarians than the general population.

Naina

A secondary version of dude,

used to imply criticism.

Telugu nana (father). Some Tamilians with Telegu ancestry

use this term in their homes to address the father.

Nashta Breakfast. Urdu nashta (light snacks). Also referred as 'Tiffin'. However

tiffin could also mean evening snacks or any light meal.

Neataa Straight. As in 'Appadiya neeataa

weld pannu.'

From the Tamil word Neettum meaning long. Probably because of the association of length with straigthness

especially in machine shops.

Ngoiyaaley'

Useless fellow.

Probably invented and popularised

by Comedy

Hero Vadivelu (Viagai Puyal)

Nijaar

Knickers or shorts. As in 'Nijaar

kaituradhu.' meaning 'fucked'

From the English word Knickers.

OB adikaradhu To waste time.

OB is pronounced as the individual letters O and B.

Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from Off Beat, oldBritish military term meaning off duty. Also possibly

from Out of Business or from O'l Bhajanai (local slang for doing nothing).

41

OC

Free, at no cost.

(Could also mean Old Cask Rum at

wine shops)

From OCS, Indian Railways abbreviation meaning On

Company Service. Parcels marked OCS travel free.Some say this is an abbreviation for Others' Cost!!

Odacha Kadala

known as "pottu kadalai" in other

parts of Tamil Nadu

used in cooking, odachakadala chutney is famous side dish

for tiffen items

OLE

the art of

lying.Making your lie an obvious one

so that others can figure it out very

easily.

manasakshiye illaama ole udaraan dameaning he's lying

ruthlessly

OLEMARI A person who lies

often.

OLE Okkadha Don't bluff

Oor Nattan.

Referring to a person from rural

regions Ooru or Oorrefers to villages

and Nattanbeing any person.

Okkanchikka To sit

Derived from the Tamil word 'Utkarunga'. Rule of madras

bashai is that you should not give respect. Example, dei ramesu, appdiye okkachikkada, intha vantten!!

Oru Flow thaan Making fun of someone/thing

Kalaiee (the one being made fun of): yen machi ippadi kalai'kire?

42

without missing a

beat. Kalaier (the one making fun of the kalaiee): Seri vidu, ellam

oru flow thaan.

Outte Same as Gaali. English out, used in the context of cricketor other sports.

Paal mararadhu

To switch camps,

to betray a confidence.

Tamil, paal (milk) and mararadhu (to change). Implies

a cow unexpectedly changing to a bull as one is milking it, with unwanted consequences.

"Paal Pappali" Milky white

breasts

Tamil Made popular by Vishal in the Tamil film song 'Paal

Pappalli'

Panni Gumbal

Vulgar term for

person who is

born by intercourse with

animals.

Root Word: Gumbal...Example:'Poda #REDIRECT Panni Gumbal'.

Parandhu parandhu adikkaradhu

To fight by jumping and flying

in the air

Refers to stunt wired moves made by heroes in local movies

in street-fight scenes which feature impossible kicks and moves defying physics. (Lately the term 'Matrix stunt

kudukkardhu' (offerMatrix-style stunts) has come to mean something similar)

Peela Petty lie/ boast. Example: Enna peela vudre?

Pee Aai/ Shit. Example: Pee porikki means shit gatherer, Pee

Thinnu means eat shit.

Pikkaali Completely dumb

/ Idiotic

Example: Pikkaali Payale means a dumb person or someone

completely useless.

Peter, Mary

Persons of Tamil origin who

speak English in preference to

Also Peter party. Also used to label those who

consider Tamil infra dig, or those who speak it with a fake

Western accent.

43

the Tamil

language, especially if his

intention is to impress others.

Philim Show off From English Film. Similar to Hindi Phillum!!

Pirikrom

Motivational word that helps people

gain confidence

over whatever they are doing.

Similar to kalaka porom

Tamil Pirikkardhu. To open something. Also can be used

as Pirikkanum, meaning we have to come out with flying colors.

Podrathu Fucking [Usage] Machi podra avala

Porambokku

Unoccupied, usually unusable

or fallow land. Derogatively and

dismissively, a person without

identity, a nobody.

Mispronunciation of 'Pembroke', as inLord Pembroke, who stated that land belonging to no one would belong to the

government.

Porul

Thing of importance.

Sometimes alluded to a minor weapon

(eg:pen knife)

Origin: Tamil. Porul, which in a pure sense, refers to the

content or inner meaning of a phrase or word.

Pottalam Ganja Origin: Tamil. A 'packet' made using, usually, news paper. Cheap Marijuana is usually sold in a news paper wrapped

packet and is called 'pottalam' or 'potlam' ('potlam' is more

44

of a Peter language). Hindi pOtli is equivalent of Tamil

pottalam.

Pottu Thaaku same as "Kalakaradhu"

Pista Local tycoon. Synonymous to Minor/Zamin(Zamindar) and Durai(White-man)

Puttukinaan He died.

Raseedhu Receipt of sale English Receipt

Ravondu in small quantity From Ravai - Ground Semolina (Suji in Hindi)which is small in size.

Reel Pitifully lame excuses.

English reel of film from the era of 16 mm projectors.

Sometimes an improperly mounted film reel would fall off the projector and run away, causing a garbled or distorted

picture to be projected on screen while the operator chased the reel across the room and mounted it back.Reel therefore

refers to an obviously implausible story. See also: gapsaa,peela, philim

Rousu udardhu

Showing off,

probably including challenging

others. To arouse attention.

English to rouse.

Rowdy Ruffian. Indian term transliterated to English.

Rowdy-sheet The rap sheet of a rowdy known to

the police.

Sarakku Refers to Liquor, Sarakku: 'goods' in English.

45

in a lesser sense,

other illicit goods like drugs, and

smuggled items.

Saaman

Refers to either a weapon, most

commonly a knife, OR genitals of a

man. Could also mean general

luggage, e.g.,Saaman

erakki anga veimeaning, unloa

d the luggage and stow it there

Hindi Saamaan: thing.

Saami padam

Also known

as Matter padam, refers to a risque

movie

To escape detection, the first few minutes of these movies usually depict devotional scenes.

Saathu Literally slam. Commonly used by everyone to refer to hitting someone, or making a point as in 'appadi pottu saathu'. Also mostly used

in 'Pottu Saathu'

Sappaaththu Shoe. Malaysian/SL Tamil

Saavugraaki

Verbal abuse

against bad drivers.

Possibly from Tamil saavu (death) andgraaki (spurious

buyer or peddler) givingcustomer of Death.

Sallu, Salunnu Fast, smooth,

quick.

Possibly from the blurring sound of something moving fast.

Equivalent of English whirr/buzz.

46

Sappa Matter or Salpi

Very Easy Thing,

Not interesting thing. Sappai/

Chappai in chaste Tamil is flat.

Example Sappa Matter mama

Semma Very (adj.) Tamil Semmai or Chemmai

Sevulu Cheek(adj.) Tamil Sevilu or Sevulu

Shaat Adikkardhu Fucking. From the English word "shot", pronounced "shaat'.

Shuvar Sure, confirmed. From the English word "Sure", pronounced with a vernacular flavour.

Sightu Adikkaruthu

Admiring women from a distance,

usually without the woman's

knowledge.

Sight English Adikarrathu Tamil

Somari Lazy fellow; word originates from

Kannada

Tamil Usage: Po da somaari (Go away, you lazy fellow)

Sound udaradhu

Synonymous with Koral udaradhu =

literally make too much

'Sound'/voice (Kural)

Tamil udaradhu (release).

Sothai Rotten. Usage: Adhu sothai figuru maamu!Literally:

decayed/damaged.

Super Star Originally refers

to TamilActor Rajn

Known for his distinctive style and screen presence. Similar

emulatory names likeShining Star, Little Super Star have

47

ikanth been taken up by other actors in South India

Sulphata

Cheap, strong and

harmful liquor that may contain

poisonous substances

including copper Sulphate,methanol

, formaldehyde andformic acid.

Similar potions include 'chappi'

and 'kalakkal.'

Pronounced sulphate aa from Copper Sulphate, commonly present in such potions. From banned liquor that the rural

poor hastily prepare by boiling (instead of fermenting) basic ingredients like rice gruel, along with a wide variety of

organic substances, sometimes, even including tyres and petroleum.

Soor Negative

A phrase much used by students

after coming out of the exam hall to

illustrate poor performance.

Suthi Vuttiya

A phrase

commonly used by call centre

employees who avoid taking calls

by refreshing their positions in the

list of people taking calls.

Susu Urine Unknown. Probably onamatopoeic from the sound of a

person urinating. Derived from Hindi (ShuShu- Urinate)

48

Takkaru Super Telugu 'Takkari' - As in Takkaru Figure ba. Takkar in Urdu

means Collision, confrontation.

Tension Aawadhey or No

Tensan

Relax Literally Don't get tensed.

Terror

Sarcastic way of

telling a person that he's no

threat.

tesan

English, 'station', which due to Tamil

pronunciation has morphed into

tesan.

As in rayilve tesan (railway station), polis tesan (police

station- also refer 'mamiyar veedu' above)

Thamaashu Funny, comical event

Urdu 'Thamaashaa'. ironically this means - is it comical ??

Thala

Literally 'head' in

Tamil. Used colloquially to

address gang leaders. Now used

in the same sense as 'dude'.

From the movie 'Dheena', starring actor Ajith whose

character is called as 'Thala' by his friends. This word is now used by many others in Tamil Nadu.

Tharudhala Refers to Useless. Fit for Nothing Sariyana Tharudhala da

Topa

means wig. Often used in a

derogatory sense to refer to the

This is derived from the French wordtoupee

49

unnatural hair of

an elderly person.

Tube light

Person absent minded or not that

shrewd. Refers to one who is not

picking up things easily, or

someone, who takes a bit of time

to understand (like a tube light

that flickers for a few seconds

before lighting up).

English Tube light .

Udhaaru To lie. Exaggerate. Also see: reel, gapsaa

Ushaaru

To be extra

cautious. Hoshiyaar from

Urdu/Ushaaru from Kannada

Ushaaru Panradhu

Derogatory way of

implying to impress and pick

up a girl.

Usage: "Ava oru attu figure, ushaar panrathuku unfit."

Unnu

Guy from Village.

Short of Oor Nattan.

50

Ulkutthu Devious, sneaky,

fraud

Tamil Ulkutthu . Literally inside punchesUnderhanded

activity, as in He resorted to Ulkutthu to improve customer experience.

Vali (Verb) as in

'ValchchukkO', 'strongaa vali'

Pull

Interestingly, 'Vali' (Verb) in chaste Tamil itself means the

same viz., 'Pull' (as in 'kaakkaay valippu' for epilepsy), though people normally prefer ' izhu'

Venna useless person synonymous with odavakarai. derived from the Tamil word vennai which means butter

Vetti

To do nothing. To

expend no energy and towards no

end or means.

Bayangara Vetti might mean a chronically lazy person.

Voodu kattrathu

act of creating a prelude to a fight.

to build a house (literal)

Tamil 'veedu'(house) 'kattrathu'(to build). This procedure involves complex body movements and ends with a complete

or partial prostration at the feet of the guru seeking his blessings before the duel.

Yakkaa

Elder Sister,

commonly used in reference to a

female who is older than the

speaker, not necessarily

his/her sister

Tamil 'Akkaa'

XXL (Double X L)

Eating at the expense of father,

doing no job or work. Similar

to Dhanda soru

Tamil 'Increasing the size of tummy without doing any work leads to increased shirt-size.'

51

Chauce Means sause Tamil 'Madras Tamil for sauce. Tomato, Chilli.. whatever..'

Sokka

Commonly used

with other words to say good. eg,

like looks good - Sokka keethu

Tamil 'NanragaTakkara' Other usage.

Yechakale A person with no shame

From the Tamil word for echchil kalai or echchil ilai, a banana leaf containing leftovers!

Eglapichu/Ducklipickl

y

Synonymous to

Dokapuli

ok pannittan"

To say that person was able to induce

love from his girlfriend.

Also known as "Madichittan".

Thanni Kaataradhu

To cheat someone or escape from a

person right under

their nose

Example : Police kitta thanni Kaateetu escape aaitan ba

Zee Tv

N. 1.Person of

North Indian origin 2.Any North

Indian Language

Example : Ponnu kaboor family daa! Ore Zee TV daa!

dappaan kuthu

Dappan kuthu is the dance used to

give a happy send off to the person

who died. This is very famous as

52

well as special in

chennai with the unique music.

Sandhu la sindhu

paadardhu

same as cycle gap

la auto ottardhu.

Examples of Madras Bashai in cricket

Like in the rest of India, the game of cricket is akin to religion in Madras too, and has its own

vocabulary, many adapted from English in extremely unique, sometimes funny ways:

Sodukku bowler Used to refer the bowler who bowls caroom ball

Word/phrase Meaning in context Origin, usage

Ayil Bongu or

ayuvuni bongu

Person who cheats in spite of a clean out. Often

referred to a person who

umpires the match. Being from the batting team, the

umpire usually denies a clear run out or no balls the

bowler after a catch is taken. Technically, the

53

person cheats by crying.

Baby Over Half an over. A bowler bowls only 3 balls in an

over instead of normal 6.

This is normally used when an unskilled

bowler (novice or a new comer)bowls and he is too erratic in bowling; so the captain signals

a babyover after 3 balls and sends the person back.

Bolden Bowled, as in when a

batsman is out Bowled.

English language Bowled - A colloquialization of Bowled Him!, which is a common way of

expressing delight, on the part of the bowler

himself, fielders, or commentators, at getting a batsman out.

Echoosme ball please

Asking for the ball which has gone out of reach while

playing in the ground.

Tamil - Fielder having not willingness to fetch the ball that has gone out of reach in a ground

normally says this.

Common Fielding The same set of fielders

field for both the teams.

A common scenario when there are fewer player in both the sides, so the same players

get to field for both the sides, irrespective of whichever team is batting

G2 or 2G 2 runs are granted without the batsman/ runner

Kind of like Bye's in cricket; This happens

typically when the ground is small and the ball runs to a place in the ground that take a long

54

running it. time to recover; so 2 runs are granted free, as

the batsman/ runner might run more if they actually wait for the ball to be returned.

Gaajee Take a turn at batting. English language from Gauge. Meaning

corrupted to mean 'turn' or 'chance'.

Gappae or Kava Failing to hold on to, or dropping, aneasy catch.

Tamil - The word could be used to describe an

incident of a person dropping a sitter of a catch, or, if he deserves such a reputation,

could refer to the person himself.

Idea Bowling Sarcastic reference to bad bowler.

Tamil - Teasing a bowler as if he had bowled a great delivery.

Joker Person who bats or bowls and fields for both the

teams.

This happens when there is one player extra

and cannot be taken into either team. Usually he is a person who cannot play the game

properly.

LaaBaal Uttered before the last ball of an over is to be bowled.

English Last Ball - A direct shortening and

colloquializing of an English term. Maybe be

said out loud by the bowler (if he wants to get his over done with quickly) or the umpire

(drawing attention to the impending end of an

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over)

Laa-Too Uttered when two balls remain in an over.

English Last Two - A direct shortening and

colloquializing of an English term. Not to be confused with 'Ladd-hoo' (below).

Ladd-hoo A ball that sits up waiting

to be hit by the batsman.

Tamil Laddu - The Laddu is a round, soft sweet dish popular in Tamil Nadu. To characterize a

bowler's delivery as a 'Ladd-hoo' is to imply that it is going to be enjoyed in a similar

manner, leading to a free hit.

Last man- Gajee

A type of game wherein even after the one player in

the final batting pair is out, the last player gets to bat

until he is made out

This is again a variation in the game, so that everyone gets fair chance to play & even when

a weak player is paired up with a last strong batsman, he still gets to complete his entire

game (until made out) & not unnecessarily penalised

Local Sixer

A lofted shot by the

batsman that looks to be heading for a sixer but

lands well inside the boundary for an easy catch.

This happens when the ball travels higher rather than farther.

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Maatikichu

A heavy dose of fluke

whereby a fielder take a blinder of a catch.

This could also be used when a non-regular

batsman swings the bat with all fury and no focus and the ball by chance hits the meat of

the bat and goes for a six or a boundary

Lotta

a Left Hander. Often used to describe a batsman or a

bowler who is left-handed. lotta kaiyala adchi

win panlam Also means that we can play with our

left hand win over the opponent. Often meant to

describe the weakest opponent.

Not a bowled Batsman claiming that he is

not bowled out.

Tamil - Possible origin from Bowled Out..

opposite is Not Bowled out.. easier way to say being Not a Bowled..

OB Bandhu

Typically a half-volley

which allows a batsman to go for a huge shot.

Tamil - Easy delivery. Possible origin from

other madras Tamil word - OB.. meaning easy going..

One pitch catch a variation in the game wherein even, if the ball

English - Typically, to quicken the pace of the game so that everyone in the team gets to

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pitches once and the fielder

catches it. It still is considered a legal

dismissal of the batsman.

play. a batsman is made out even if the fielder

catches a ball after one pitch

One pitch catch one hand

a variation of one pitch catch where the ball needs

to be caught with one hand after the first pitch in order

to be able to legally dismiss the batsman.

English - Typically, to quicken the pace of the game so that everyone in the team gets to

play.

One side fielding

An scenario wherin only

one side of the field is available for play (ie either

the leg side or the offside).

This typically happens when ground is small

and one of field is unusable/impossible to play, such as a brick wall on the side, road

obstacle etc.

Pazhama Podu A ball tossed up waiting to

be hit

Tamil - the phrase literally means to put a

fruit, like a fruit ready to be plucked.

Potta bongu

Same as ayil bongu. But here the cheater behaves

like a bitch by not being brave enough to face the

opponents like a man and always seeks to win by

cheating. Potta literally

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means bitch.

Poo

Literally meaning being

flower,in cricket it is used to describe the ball being

bowled by a bowler, which is so easy to hit.

Putting bat

When after the toss, the winning team asks the

other team to bat first

(which btw proves that the toss winner is a

professional team)

English Putting and Bat - shortened

from Putting-the other team-to Bat. This is

widely used in Somasundaram ground, T.Nagar

Tan

Used to refer to

the turn (or spin) that a spin bowler generates.

Tamil - Corruption of the English word Turn

Tip Stands for edge.

Used alternatively to say the ball took the edge

of the bat,and hence not as productive as meant.Also used to refer to the bottom edge of

the bat.

Trials Stands for the ball usually bowled before the innings

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"officially" begins. A

batsman usually opts for this in order to gauge the

bowler's method of bowling the ball..

Tree catch/Wall catch

Taking a catch after a ball

hits a tree or a wall while playing street cricket.

Tamil - To describe a catch taken after the ball hit a tree or a wall.

Utteetail orAdditail

When a batsman cannot

continue batting due to an injury and has to retire.

English Hurt, Retired - Extreme corruption of

this word is a matter of amusement and curiosity.

Yes Ball

Denotes that the ball bowled is not an incorrect

one - basically not a wide or a no-ball.

English Initially there used to be fights between teams regarding no-balls and the

height of the ball when it passes the batsman especially when a batsman is out hitting the

ball. So when the umpire, who is mostly part

of the batting team in local club matches pronounces it as a No ball the bowling team, to

show its opposition to the decision shouts Yes ball in chorus. This became a vogue and

nowadays all correct deliveries are referred to as Yes ball. You can see the term frequently

used in pre-game captains meets as No-ball adicha Yes Ball pa.Out undu innaa.

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Dokku

While batting, it denotes a

defensive stroke with a low or zero scoring potential.

Tamil . Possibly from dok, the muffled sound

made when the wooden bat hits the playing surface when a defensive shot is played. It can

also mean a dead end in Chennai slang.

Doubles

player batting for a second

time in the same innings even after getting out.

This typically happens, when there are an extra person in one team vs the other team, so

the opposing team gets to field a player bat a second time to compensate for the missing

player in their team.

Wait for the crease

Used when the wicket keeper or bowler has the

ball. The batsman uses this phrase meaning that he

retains the crease and denies the wicket keeper or

the bowler of running him out.

The batsman uses this usually when he has to

discuss team strategies with the batsman at the other end.

Yellbee or L.B.

L.B.W., or Leg Before

Wicket, a way of getting a batsman out in cricket.

English L.B.W. - An abbreviation of the

acronym, spoken with the intonations (Yell for the letter L) that characterize Tamil.

over gaaje Playing last ball in the previous over and taking 1

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run so that he can play for

the next over first ball too.