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Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: மெட்ராஸ் பாஷை), is a type of mixed language spoken in 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.
Contents |
Grammar
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! | Viraivāga Sel! | feeda-ā pō! |
| Go straight! | Nerāga Sel! (Adverb Verb) | Staita po! (Adverb Verb) (also Steittaa po!) |
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 mātiri full-ā English speak-paṇṇa people like me eppaṭi understand paṇṇartu?
- 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 ellām full-ā English-tān pēcuvānka.
- Future generations will all only speak completely in English.
It is important to note that if this were expressed fully in Tamil:
- Vaṛa talaimuṛai ellām mulukka ānkilamtān pēcuvānka,
even in a colloquial form (as evidenced by the verb, pēcuvānka, as opposed to pēcuvārkaḷ), the word choice itself would make the sentence sound lofty and formal; words such as talaimuṛai are associated with literature, not everyday speech.[citation needed]
| Standard Tamil | Madras bashai | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| irukkiṛāy (இருக்கிறாய்) | kiṛē (கிறே) | You are there. |
| irukkiṛatu (இருக்கிறது) | kītu (கீது) | it is there. |
| iluttukkoṇṭu (இழுத்துக்கொண்டு) | istukinu (இஸ்துகினு) | Dragged with (participle of Izhukkiradhu (இழுக்கறது - to drag) |
| kūṭṭikkoṇṭu(கூட்டிக்கொண்டு) | iṭṭukinu (இட்டுகினு) | Bring along |
| appuram (அப்புறம்) | appālikā,appāllē,appa (அப்பாலிகா, அப்பாலே,அப்ப) | Then |
| kilittuviṭuvēn (கிழித்துவிடுன்) | kīciṭuvēn (கீசிடுவேன்) | I'll tear [you] apart. |
| inkē uṭkārunkaḷ (இங்கே உட்காருங்கள்) | inka kuntu,inke park pannika (இங்க குந்து) | Please Sit Here. |
| kiṇṭal paṇṛē (கிண்டல் பண்றே) | kalāykkaṛē (கலாய்க்கறே) | You are kidding me. |
| anka (அங்க) | annanṇṭa (அன்னண்ட) | There |
| Thamatham aagum (தாமதம் ஆகும்) | Lettaagum (லேட்டாகும்) | 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 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 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? (என்ன ராஜசேகரன்?) | Inaa Rajasekaraa? (இன்னா ராஜசேகரா?) | What Rajasekaran? |
| Gudisai (குடிசை) | Gudse, Gudchae (குட்சே) | Hut |
| Veedu (வீடு) | Voodu, Oodu (வூடு) | House |
| Pazham (பழம்) | Payam (பயம்) | Fruit |
| Sappidu (சாப்பிடு) | Thunnu (துன்னு) | Eat |
| Ematrukiraya (ஏமாற்றுகிறாயா) | Dabaikeeriya (டபாய்க்கிறியா) | Cheating, Dodging, Evading |
| Nagarigamaga (நாகரிகமாக) | deegenta, regenta (டீஜென்டா, ரீஜென்டா) | Decent, Decency |
| naiyandi' (நையாண்டி) | Kalaikuriya (கலாய்க்கிறியா) | Joke |
| Valikkalai' (வலிக்கவில்லை) | Nogalai' (நோகலை) | Is it not paining? |
| English | Madras bashai (சென்னை பாஷை) | |
| Are you ready? | Ready-aa? (ready-ஆ?) | |
| Am I late? | Late-aa? (late-ஆ?) | |
| Is it OK? | OK-vaa? (ok-வா?) |
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, and Kannada.
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' (பேஜார்), 'naastha' (நாஸ்தா), etc. Telugu: 'naina' (நைனா), 'baava' (பாவா), 'eppudu' (எப்புடு), 'cheppu', dabbu, duddu(Money) etc.
Examples
"Gomathi" (Figuratively eq of) "Ugly woman" Tamil"Seriyana Gomathi da ava"
| Word/phrase | Meaning in context | Origin, usage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aapu adchichu (ஆப்பு அடிச்சு) | To result in failure. | Tamil aapu (ஆப்பு) is a thin triangular wedge (usually made of metal) used in carpentry to split wood or hold half-split wood. adchichu(அடிச்சு) means to hit. So this phrase literally means hit/split by a wedge implying a failure | ||||
| AaaKoa (ஆக்கோ) | Over enthusiastic. | Tamil aarva kolaaru (ஆர்வக் கோளாறு - over enthusiasm). | ||||
| Adan kokka makka (அடாங் கொக்க மக்கா) | your sister's son or daughter. | Tamil Ada un akka magan / magal | ||||
| Aaf-Paayil (ஆஃப் பாயில்) | Half-boiled egg. Vendhum vegathathu. | English Half boiled | ||||
| Aleka (அலெகா) | Smoothly | Tamil Aazhaga (அழகா) (beautifully) | ||||
| Aalinaal Alaguraaja (ஆலின்ஆல் அழகுராஜா) | Jack of all arts. | English All in all | ||||
| Aathaadi (ஆத்தாடி) | 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. | ||||
| Aattaya poadrathu (ஆட்டய போடறது) | ...To steal. Usage Avan Aattaya potutan meaning He Stole. Similar to Abase panradhu (அபேஸ் பண்றது) | Madurai Tamil Madurai local slang. | ||||
| Abase panradhu | To steal. | English abase and Tamil panradhu (to do). Also used as English loot and Tamil udradhu (உட்றது), sudradhu (சுடுறது) and amukardhu (அமுக்குறது). | ||||
| 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 (அக்கிஸ்ட்) | rogue, Accused, criminal | English Accused | ||||
| A-haan (ஆஹாங்) | yes | English A-Haa. (When one has just discovered or remembered something) | ||||
| Allakai' (அல்லக்கை) | Meaning a weaker person who lives in the shadow of a stronger person or one who has no got no guts to say wrong 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 a weaselly acquaintance | Use Less Fellow Tamil valathu kai | ||||
| Allu illa' | Shit Scared! | No idea. | ||||
| Alva kudukradhu' | Act of deceiving,chicanery or cheating - done very smartly.Dialogue made famous by Tamil actor Sathyaraaj. | English Leaving someone who believed in you helpless, in the hour of need. | ||||
| Allo (அலோ) | Hey, there... | English hello. Used to draw attention. Pure Tamil does not have the sound'Ha' | ||||
| Annthanda po' (அந்தாண்ட போ) | Go There (go that side) | Tamil Athan andai po. (அதன் அண்டை போ) | ||||
| Annaathe (அண்ணாத்தே) | Elder brother. Often referred to a respectable person. Also used when one wants to surrender unconditionally. annathe utturu meaning, Oh Lord please give me life. | Tamil Annan (அண்ணன்) | ||||
| Apeetu (அபீடு) | To exit quickly/Vanish from the spot. | Language English [abate-die away], rhyme/antonym of repeatu, as in 'mudhala apeetu apparam repeatu'(First apeetu, then repeat) | ||||
| Aani Pudunga Vendaam- Do not try to play around. | ||||||
| Appalae' (அப்பாலே) | Afterwards, later | Tamil appuram (அப்புறம்) | ||||
| Asalta (அசால்டா) | 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 Tamil asattai. | ||||
| Ayye | Saying So? in a derogatory way. | From English 'Hey!, as in Ayye, eppo innandre? Tamil Iyo, Iyako | ||||
| Baamaayilu | Palm oil. | English Palm + English oil. | ||||
| Baadu | A servant who is holding the light when the king and queen indulge in intercourse. Derogatory. | A person acting as a pimp for his own sister. | An impotent person who has erectile dysfunction. | Often used as ஒத்தா பாடு... | ||
| 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 | Stylish | Possibly from the style statements of James Bond. (Bond = Bandha) | ||||
| Batli | Derogatory term for a woman. | English From bottle. A reference to a 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 wears Westernized clothes and/or accessories, even sunglasses. Derogatory. | Probably from the Hollywood western Django popular in the 1970s in Madras. | ||||
| Bikki (பிக்கி) | 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 | ||||
| 'Bittu | A small strip of pornographic/sexually suggestive scene that is run during the screening of a legitimate movie. Also refers to a strip of paper especially used for copying in exams. | English bit | ||||
| 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 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 exsites more than this. |
|||
| Certigaatu | Refers to certificate | Derived from the English word certificate. | ||||
| Comedy 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 | ||||
| Dakaalte also pronounced as Takaalti or Dakaitee | 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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 indicates courage. | ||||
| Ditchu | Drainage derived from English Ditch and spoken as Kawa | |||||
| 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 context) | Telugu Eguru, as in Macha, mama varaan, eguru or Sarkkadichi voottukku pona, engappa emmele egiritaruda or Egiri bus-le erittanda aven. egiRuthal in normal Tamil means to jump, bounce. | ||||
| Es agurudhu | To escape | English From first syllable of the English word 'escape' | ||||
| Feelingu/Pheeling/Feelings | 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. | ||||
| Fukaard | Derivative of the F-Word. Becoming very popular among BPO guys. Refers to someone who does all Goodhal's & Ulkutthu. | English Fucker. Origin: Some person in Team Inferno from an anonymous BPO. Also spelt as Fukaad, Fukard, Fukad, Fuckard, Fuckaard, Fuckhard. Moto: Live Free or Fuckaad! | ||||
| 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 a suburb of Istanbul known for its nightlife) or from English gala. | ||||
| Galiju | Dirty, Can be used in any context. Widely used to refer to bit(matter) | Kannada, meaning dirty. | ||||
| 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. Compare reel, peela. Most probably related to gabbu (stink), somparable to stinking lies. | ||||
| Gelichan | He won. | Telugu gelupu (victory). | ||||
| Gethu | Super, Better than normal. | Origin unknown | ||||
| Gokka-Makka | (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 to Machi. But it can be interpreted as dumb or useless person also. | Possibly from Tamil for 'guava'. | ||||
| 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 group. | 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. | ||||
| 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 in ridicule. | Also called Ingleesu or Engleesu. | ||||
| 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 as instoot, Excuse is pronounced as esoos or echoos | ||||
| Isthukunu po | literal meaning taking away | Telling someone to take it away or carrying it away (See also 'Vali') | ||||
| Itta/Ittinnuva/Isthunuva | 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 Tamil vaangaradhu (to buy, to get). Literally means to get room [to escape]. | ||||
| 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 meant to shit. Apparently, the person had read Inflammable 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 Indian person. Derogatory. | Hindi jhatkaa (cart, also sudden shock). Play of words Jat and Jhatkaa. | ||||
| Joadreppai | Cobbler. | Possibly from Hindi joota (shoe) and English 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. | ||||
| 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. |
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| 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 word confuse. | Example : Don't Kanpiece me.., Machi romba kanpiece panadha da.. | ||||
| KD | 1. Petty crook. 2. An unusually intelligent criminal.3;Cunning person | English. Old Chennai police abbreviation for either known delinquent, known depredator or known defaulter or Known Denotified 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 | ||||
| "Kai Adi" | Masturbation. Derogatory/sexual connotation | Tamil | "Poi Kai Adi" could also mean 'Try to grow up' since being aware of sex and sexuality is a sign of growing up. | |||
| 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 'கழிக்கப்பட்டது ' or kash mailam (black dirt). Comparing someone with hair is considered rude in Tamil culture. Maalam is also a slang word for shit. Some say ' kasmalam' (one word) in Sanskrit means a dirty thing worthy of discarding. | ||||
| 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 from Kazhudai(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 from Kizhavi 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). | ||||
| 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 | |||||
| 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). kudukaradhu literally means to 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 thinks very highly of himself (without any solid basis for that assumption). | English lord | ||||
| Lavad-e-ke-baal | Person who is extremely annoying. | Hindi Female genitial hair | ||||
| 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 w replacing 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, 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. | ||||
| 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 string strong for kite (called Banas) fights commonly referred to as Deal. | The glass powdered based chemical used in kite strings used in deal fights in kite flying usage mamey deala innika banava ashcitunga. | ||||
| 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!!. | ||||
| Matteru | Refers to an important happening/incident, eulogically referring to sex or Matter film or Blue Film. | English Matter, as in Enna matteru? (What's the matter?), or Enna machi, mattera? | ||||
| Massa massa | Refers to a sooper figure whose body mass index is a little high and moves lazily. | English Full of mass | ||||
| 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 word Mokkaiyappar 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 word Mokkaiyappar who was a king, famous for his blaydu jokes. (Poor Jokes - PJ) | ||||
| Mucha | Referring to urine | Sometimes MUCHA is referred as UCCHA 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 knots. | For meaning refer to molla maari | ||||
| 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, old British military term meaning off duty. Also possibly from Out of Business or from O'l Bhajanai (local slang for doing nothing). | ||||
| 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 da meaning 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 Oor refers to villages and Nattan being 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 without missing a beat. | Kalaiee (the one being made fun of): yen machi ippadi kalai'kire?
Kalaier (the one making fun of the kalaiee): Seri vidu, ellam oru flow thaan. |
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| Outte | Same as Gaali. | English out, used in the context of cricket or 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' (offer Matrix-style stunts) has come to mean something similar) | ||||
| Paruppu | The G-spot in a female. | The testicles of a male. | Often used in an informal context. (Periya paruppu ivan?) Also known in Chintadripet as "Paavadai Paruppu".
Source of Information "Chintadripet" Lingeswaran Mathivanan. |
Parshtu | first | Root First - English |
| 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 the Tamil language, especially if his intention is to impress others. | Also Peter party. Also used to label those who consider Tamil infra dig, or those who speak it with a fake Western accent. | ||||
| 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 in Lord 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 of a Peter language). Hindi pOtli is equivalent of Tamil pottalam. | ||||
| 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, in a lesser sense, other illicit goods like drugs, and smuggled items. | Sarakku: 'goods' in English. | ||||
| 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 vei meaning, unload 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) and graaki (spurious buyer or peddler) giving customer of Death. | ||||
| Sallu, Salunnu | Fast, smooth, quick. | Possibly from the blurring sound of something moving fast. Equivalent of English whirr/buzz. | ||||
| 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 | Usage: "Otha sevulu pendhidum". Infamously used as "Bagulu bigil oodhum...sevulu avilaayidum" | |||
| 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 Tamil Actor Rajnikanth | Known for his distinctive style and screen presence. Similar emulatory names like Shining Star, Little Super Star have 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 and formic 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) | ||||
| Takkaru | Super | Telugu 'Takkari' - As in Takkaru Figure ba . Takkar in Urdu means Collision, confrontation. | ||||
| Tension Aawadhey or No Tensan | Relax | Literally Don't become tension. | ||||
| 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 unnatural hair of an elderly person. | This is derived from the French word toupee | ||||
| 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 | |||||
| Unnu | Guy from Village. Short of Oor Nattan. | |||||
| Ulkutthu | Devious, sneaky, fraud | Tamil Ulkutthu . Literally inside punches Underhanded 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.' | ||||
| 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/Ducklipickly | Synonymous to Dokapuli | |||||
| Setup pannittan" | To say that person was able to induce love from his girlfriend. | Also known as "Madichittan". | Usage. Figura madichitaan machi. | |||
| 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 well as special in chennai with the unique music. | |||||
| Sandhu la sindhu paadardhu | same as cycle gap la auto ottardhu. | yaledra | explain yaledra??? |
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:
| 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 person cheats by crying. | |
| Baby Over | Half an over, as in when a bowls only 3 balls in an over instead of normal 6. | This is normally used when an unskilled bowler (normally novice or an 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 running it. | 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 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, an easy 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 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. |
| 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 pitches once and the fielder catches it. It still is considered a legal dismissal of the batsman. | English - Typically, to quicken the pace of the game so that everyone in the team gets to 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 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 "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 or Additail | 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. |
| 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 run so that he can play for the next over first ball too.
UsageA large part of Madras bashai is dedicated to exhibiting road rage and starting street fights. The most common is machaan or machi meaning brother-in-law as in Saala in Marathi/Hindi or malaka in Greek. Most common word to describe almost anyone.
However, not all of Madras Bashai is used predominantly for cursing. The Madras Bashai uses the English language in a very interesting manner.
See also |
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