BATCHMATES
students who attended the same school, college, or military or administrative academy.
BETA
“son,” or “child,” used in endearment.
BHAI
brother.
BHANG
a drink popular in many parts of India made by mixing cannabis with a concoction of almonds, spices, milk and sugar.
BHAVAN
home or building.
BHINDI
okra.
BIDI
Indian cigarette made of strong tobacco hand-rolled in a leaf from the ebony tree.
BINDI
from the Sanskrit bindu, “a drop, small particle, dot.” Traditionally a dot of red color applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows worn by married Hindu women, or by any girl or woman as a decoration, often colored to match the clothes they are wearing.
BUCKS
as in America, but used to mean rupees instead of dollars.
BURFI OR BARFI
a sweet made from condensed milk and cooked with sugar until it solidifies. Burfi is often flavored with cashews, mango, pistachio and spices and is sometimes served coated with a thin layer of edible silver leaf.
“BUSS”
Hindi for “stop” or “enough.”
CAR-SAAF-WALLAH
Wallah is a generic term in Hindi meaning “the one” or “he who does.” Car-saaf-wallah is typical Hinglish, a mixture of Hindi and English, in this case meaning “he who washes the car.”
“CHALLO”
Hindi for “let’s go.”
CHAI
tea.
CHANNA
spicy masala chickpeas, also known as chhole.
CHANNA BHATURA
Indian fried bread, very oily, chewy (and delicious!), served with curried chickpeas.
CHAPPATIS
see roti.
CHARAS
handmade hashish, very potent.
CHARPAI
literally “four feet.” A charpai is a woven string cot used throughout northern India and Pakistan.
CHAPPALS
Indian sandals usually made of leather or rubber.
CHAT
a savory, spicy, tangy street food common to northern and western India. Chat comprises crispy fried papris or savory biscuits, topped with yogurt, spices, sliced onions, mango powder, and tamarind and green chili chutneys.
CHAVAL
rice.
CHHATRIS
literally “umbrella” or “canopy,” a domeshaped pavilion commonly used as an element of Indian architecture.
CHHOLE
see channa.
CHIKAN KURTA
Kurta is a long shirt worn by men and women in Pakistan and northern India. Chikan refers to a unique embroidery style from Lucknow, believed to have been introduced by the emperor Jehangir’s wife, Nur Jehan. Traditionally, it uses white thread on white muslin cloth.
CHOWKIDAR
watchman.
CHOWTI BABY
in Hindi, chowti means “little.”
CHUDDIES
Punjabi for underpants.
CHUNNI
long scarf worn with drawstring trousers and a knee-length kameez or kurta.
CHURIDAAR PAJAMA
a style of leg-hugging drawstring pajamas with folds that fall around the ankles like a stack of churis, or bracelets.
CRORE
a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to 10 million.
CROREPATI
an extremely rich person, a multimillionaire.
COUSIN-SISTER
a colloquialism emphasizing that in India a first cousin is like a sibling.
DAAL
spiced lentils.
DABBA
a lunchbox, usually round and made of stainless steel with several compartments.
DACOIT
a member of an Indian or Burmese armed robber band.
DALITS
untouchables, low caste; means “suppressed” or “crushed.”
DANDASANA POSITION
in yoga the simplest form of the sitting position.
DHABA
roadside eatery, popular with truck drivers in northern India, which serves spicy Punjabi food.
DHARMA
a Sanskrit term that refers to a person’s righteous duty or any virtuous path.
DHOBI
person who washes clothes.
DISHDASHA
an ankle-length garment similar to a robe worn in the Arab world, most commonly in the Gulf states.
DIYAS
a lamp usually made of clay with a cotton wick dipped in vegetable oil.
DOSA
a South Indian crêpe made from rice and lentils.
DOUBLE-ROLE
one actor often playing two opposing roles (good brother/bad brother) in Indian films.
DOUBLE ROTI
sliced white bread.
DUPATTA
in women’s dress, a scarf usually worn over the head and shoulders, made of cotton, georgette, silk, chiffon, etc.
GHEE
clarified butter.
GOBI
cauliflower.
GOONDAS
thugs or miscreants.
GORA/GORI
a light-skinned person; the term is often used in reference to Westerners.
“HAAN-JI”
Hindi for “yes, sir/madam.”
“HAI!”
an exclamation indicating surprise or shock.
HAKIM
a Muslim physician.
HALDI
turmeric, deep orange-yellow spice made from the rhizomes of the turmeric plant.
HALVA
a dessert made from wheat flour, semolina, lentils or grated carrots mixed with sugar and ghee and topped with almonds. Often served in Hindu and Sikh temples as blessed food for worshippers to eat following prayers.
HIJRA
a member of “the third sex,” neither man nor woman. Most are physically male or intersex (formerly known as hermaphrodites). Some are female. Hijras usually refer to themselves as female and dress as women. Although they are usually referred to in English as “eunuchs,” relatively few have any genital modifications. A third gender has existed in the subcontinent from the earliest records, and was clearly acknow ledged in Vedic culture, throughout the history of Hinduism, as well as in the royal courts of Islamic rulers.
HINDUSTAN AMBASSADOR
until recently India’s national car. The design, which has changed little since production started in 1957, is similar to the British Morris Oxford.
INCHARGE
noun meaning “boss.”
JAINS
a small but influential and generally wealthy religious minority with at least 10 million followers.
“JALDI KARO”
Hindi for “hurry up.”
JALEBI
pretzel-shaped, bright orange sweet made of fried batter soaked in sugar syrup.
JAO!
“Go!”
JEERA
cumin seeds.
-JI
honorific attached to the end of nouns.
“JI”
“yes.”
KACHORIS
a snack eaten in north India and Pakistan. The Rajasthani variety is a round flattened ball made of fine flour filled with a baked stuffing of yellow daal, beans, gram flour, red chili powder and other spices.
KADI CHAWAL
Kadi is made from gram flour fried in butter and mixed with buttermilk or yogurt to produce a spicy, sour curry. Served with chawal, rice.
KATHI ROLL
a type of street food similar to a sand-wichlike wrap, usually stuffed with chicken tikka or lamb, onion and green chutney.
KHANA
Hindi for food.
KHICHRI
a cupful of rice cooked with yellow lentils and spiced with cumin, salt and coriander. Generally eaten when one is sick or in need of comfort food.
KHUKURI
a carved Nepalese knife used as a tool and weapon.
KIRPAN
a ceremonial sword or dagger that all baptized Sikhs are supposed to wear.
KITTY PARTY
women in India organize kitty parties to socialize, but also as an interest-free way of loaning one another money. The kitty is a collective fund. The carefully chosen guests bring their next installment of cash to each party. One name is drawn from a hat, with that woman receiving twelve installments all at once to use as she pleases.
KOH-I-NOOR
the “Mountain of Light,” a 105-karat (21.6 g) diamond that belonged to various Mughal and Persian rulers and is now part of the British crown jewels.
KOHL
a mixture of soot and other ingredients used predominantly by Middle Eastern, north African, sub-Saharan African and South Asian women (and to a lesser extent men) to darken the eyelids and as mascara for the eyelashes.
KOORAY WALLAH
one who collects the rubbish. See car-saaf-wallah.
KUNDAN
a style of jewelry dating back to Mughal times in which precious and semi-precious stones are set in pure gold, often with colored enamel at the back, so that each piece of jewelry has two equally beautiful surfaces.
KURTA PAJAMA
long shirt and drawstring trousers.
KSHATRIYA
the military and ruling order of the traditional Vedic-Hindu social system as outlined by the Vedas; the warrior caste.
LADOOS
a sweet that is often prepared to celebrate festivals or household events such as weddings. Essentially, ladoos are flour balls cooked in sugar syrup.
LAKH
a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to 100,000.
LAL MIRCH
ground red cayenne pepper.
“LAO”
Hindi for “bring.”
LASSI
drink made from buttermilk; can be plain, sweet or salty, or made with fruit such as banana or mango.
LATHI
length of bamboo or cane carried by police or schoolmasters.
LOAD SHEDDING
a phrase referring to the period when Indian power companies cut off the electricity to different neighborhoods when they cannot meet demand.
LUNGI
a garment that covers the lower half of the body and is tied around the waist.
“MAADERCHOD”
literally “motherfucker” in Punjabi.
MAALISH
oil massage.
MALI
gardener.
MANDE THUNIS
a turban worn by the Coorg men of southern Karnataka.
MANGAL SUTRA
a symbol of Hindu marriage, consisting of a gold ornament strung from a yellow thread, a string of black beads or a gold chain. It is comparable to a Western wedding ring and is worn by a married woman until her husband’s death.
MANGLIK
astrological term referring to a person born under the negative influence of Mars. It is believed that a non-Manglik marrying a Manglik will die. Two Mangliks marrying each other cancel out the negative effects. Mangliks can also perform a ceremony in which they “marry” a tree or a golden idol to transfer their bad luck.
MASALA CHAI
spiced tea.
MATTHIS
fried savory biscuits, often served with tea.
MEMSAHIB
formerly a term of respect for white European women in colonial India, but now used for well-to-do Indian women.
MESWAK
a natural toothbrush made from the twigs of the Salvadora persica tree, also known as the Arak or Peelu tree.
MOONG DAAL
a split bean that has a green husk and is yellow inside.
NAAMAALUM
like a John or Jane Doe, a corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown.
NAMASHKAR/NAMASTE
traditional Hindu greeting said with hands pressed together.
NIMBOO PAANI
lemonade, usually with salt.
“OOLU KE PATHAY”
Punjabi curse literally translates as “son of an owl.”
PAAN
betel leaf, stuffed with betel nut, lime and other condiments and used as a stimulant.
PAAGAL
Hindi for crazy.
PAKORA
a deep-fried snack. They can be made from pretty much anything dipped in a gram flour batter.
PALLU
the loose end of a sari.
PANEER
unaged cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice.
PARANTHA
PEG
a unit of measurement for alcoholic spirits. Peg measures can hold anywhere from 1 to 2 fluid ounces (30–60 ml).
PRESS-WALLAH
a journalist.
PUJA
prayer.
“PUKKA”
Hindi word meaning “solid, well made.” Also means “definitely.”
PURANAS
a group of Hindu, Jain or Buddhist religious texts.
RAJMA
red kidney beans cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and spices. A much-loved Punjabi dish eaten with chawal, rice.
RAKHI-BROTHER
the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bonds between brothers and sisters. The sister ties a rakhi, or holy thread, on her brother’s wrist in exchange for a vow of protection. Any male can be adopted as a brother by tying the thread.
RAS MALAI
dumplings from cottage or ricotta cheese soaked in sweetened, thickened milk delicately flavored with cardamom.
RAVAN
the demon king of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, who kidnaps the wife of Lord Ram.
ROTI OR CHAPATTI
Indian wheat flatbread cooked on a hot griddle.
“SAALA MAADERCHOD”
“bastard mother fucker.”
“SAALE”
“bastard.”
“SAB CHANGA”
Punjabi for “all well.”
SADHU
a holy man who has renounced the material world to devote himself to spiritual practice.
SAHIB
an Urdu honorific now used across South Asia as a term of respect, equivalent to the English “sir.”
SALWAR
baggy trousers worn by men and women common to Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.
SAMOSA
a triangular fried savory snack stuffed with potatoes, peas and spices.
SANYASI
a Hindu who has renounced the material world.
SARDAAR
a male follower of the Sikh religion.
SARDAAR-JI JOKES
Sikhs are traditionally the butt of jokes in northern India.
SARI
India’s national dress for women. Usually six yards of material wrapped and pleated over a blouse and petticoat.
SHRI
a Sanskrit title of veneration. An honorific, whose equivalent is “Mr.” in English.
SINDOOR
a red powder used by married Hindu women and some Sikh women. During the marriage ceremony, the groom applies some to the parting of the bride’s hair to show that she is now a married woman. Subsequently, sindoor is applied by the wife as part of her dressing routine.
SONF
plain or sugared fennel seeds eaten to aid digestion and to freshen the mouth after a meal.
SUBZI
a vegetable.
SUBZI-WALLAH
vegetable seller.
TACHEE
Indian English for suitcase, derived from “attaché case.”
TAVA
a large, flat or slightly concave disc-shaped griddle made from cast iron, steel or aluminum used to prepare several kinds of flat breads.
TEEN PATTA
an Indian card game, al
so known as Flush. Usually played at Diwali, the Indian new year, it is a betting game in which the player with the best hand (three aces or three consecutive cards of the same suit) wins the pot.
TIFFIN
steel lunchbox usually with three round, stackable compartments.
TIMEPASS
Hindi/English word meaning any pointless activity to pass the time.
TULLI
Punjabi slang for “drunk.”
TONGA
a horse-pulled cart.
“YAAR”
equivalent to “pal,” “mate” or “dude.”
ZARI
a type of thread made of fine gold or silver wire woven into silk to create intricate patterns; Mughal in origin.