Madras Tamil-Madras Bashi
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Transcript of Madras Tamil-Madras Bashi
1
Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: ெம�ரா� பாைஷ),
Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: ெம�ரா� பாைஷ), 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! Viraivāga Sel! feeda-ā pō!
Go straight! Nerāga 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 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 astalaimuṛai are
associated with literature, not everyday speech.
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Standard Tamil Madras bashai Meaning
irukkiṛāy (இ��கிறா�) kiṛē (கிேற) You are there.
irukkiṛatu (இ��கிற) kītu (கீ) it is there.
iluttukkoṇṭu(இ� �ெகா��)
istukinu(இ�கி�)
Dragged
with (participle of Izhukkiradhu (இ��கற - to drag)
kūṭṭikkoṇṭu(����ெகா��)
iṭṭukinu (இ��கி�) Bring along
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appuram (அ��ற�) appālikā,appāllē,appa(அ�பாலிகா, அ�பாேல,அ�ப)
Then
kilittuviṭuvēn (கிழி வி��)
kīciṭuvēn(கீசி�ேவ�) I'll tear [you] apart.
inkē uṭkārunkaḷ (இ!ேக உ�கா�!க#)
inka kuntu,inke park
pannika (இ!க $%) Please Sit Here.
kiṇṭal paṇṛē (கி�ட' ப�ேற)
kalāykkaṛē(கலா��கேற) You are kidding me.
anka (அ!க) annanṇṭa(அ�ன�ட) There
Thamatham
aagum (தாமத� ஆ$�) Lettaagum(ேல�டா$�)
It would take a while to carry out your service. Some of the service providers use
this phrase to dissuade the customers that they are not willing to carry out the
request now. Typically small eateries in Chennai say this when the restaurant is
yet to commence its operation for business for the day. Autorickshaw and
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Share Auto drivers use this word when
they want to express a view to the customers that they are unwilling to ply
the specified route requested by the customer/commuter.
Readers can understand immediately that this was done to save time, so that in the same period
of time a Madras Tamilar can convey 1.5 times that of a Madurai Tamilar and 5 times that of
a Coimbatore Tamilar (depending on the length of the drawl, like 'yaeeeeeeenunga?') One
anomaly to this shortening rule is, some words get suffixed with the syllable 'ka'. So, summa =
summaka, dhoora = dhooraka.
Alternative pronunciation
Some Tamil words are pronounced differently from Madurai Tamil (considered the
standard dialect). This practice is very similar to other dialects of Tamil. The pronunciation
differences are usually accounted for by morphed and/or deleted vowels.
Questions with binary answers
Questions with yes/no answers are framed by saying the statement whose truth is to be verified
(using the participle if necessary) and then saying aa at the end with a rising inflexion like a
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question. The meaning of the aa is roughly analogous to Is it?. If the statement already ends in
an aa or other interfering vowel sound, then the questioning aa can be made vaa in the interest
of euphonics. Some speakers tend to carry the -aa even into full English conversations from force
of habit. e.g.: U finished it aa? and also sometimes shortened to Finished-aa?
Standard Tamil Madras bashai Meaning
Enna Rajasekaran? (எ�ன ராஜேசகர�?)
Inaa Rajasekaraa? (இ�னா ராஜேசகரா?)
What Rajasekaran?
Gudisai ($�ைச) Gudse, Gudchae ($�ேச) Hut
Veedu (வ 0�) Voodu, Oodu (1�) House
Pazham (பழ�) Payam (பய�) Fruit
Sappidu (சா�பி�) Thunnu (��) Eat
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Ematrukiraya (ஏமா45கிறாயா) Dabaikeeriya (டபா��கிறியா) Cheating, Dodging, Evading
Nagarigamaga (நாக7கமாக) deegenta, regenta (8ெஜ�டா, 9ெஜ�டா)
Decent, Decency
naiyandi' (ைநயா��) Kalaikuriya (கலா��கிறியா) Joke
Valikkalai' (வலி�கவி'ைல) Nogalai' (ேநாகைல) Is it not paining?
English
Madras bashai (ெச�ைன பாைஷ)
Are you ready? Ready-aa? (ready-ஆ?)
Am I late? Late-aa? (late-ஆ?)
Is it OK? OK-vaa? (ok-வா?)
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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'
(ேபஜா;), 'naastha' (நா�தா), etc. Telugu: 'naina' (ைநனா), 'baava' (பாவா), 'eppudu' (எ���), 'cheppu', dabbu, duddu(Money) etc.
Examples
Word/phrase Meaning in context
Origin, usage
Aapu adchichu (ஆ�� அ�<=)
To result in
failure.
Tamil aapu (ஆ��) is a thin triangular wedge (usually made of metal) used in carpentry to split wood or hold half-split
wood. adchichu(அ�<=) means to hit. So this phrase literally
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means hit/split by a wedge implying a failure
AaaKoa (ஆ�ேகா) Over enthusiastic. Tamil aarva kolaaru (ஆ;வ� ேகாளா5 - over enthusiasm).
Adan kokka
makka(அடா! ெகா�க ம�கா)
your sister's son or daughter.
Tamil Ada un akka magan / magal
Aaf-Paayil (ஆஃ� பாயி')
Half-boiled egg.
Vendhum vegathathu.
English Half boiled
Aleka (அெலகா) Smoothly Tamil Aazhaga (அழகா) (beautifully)
Aalinaal
Alaguraaja(ஆலி�ஆ' அழ$ராஜா)
Jack of all arts. English All in all
Aathaadi (ஆ தா�) 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(ஆ�டய ேபாடற)
...To steal.
Usage Avan Aattaya
potutan meaning He Stole. Similar
to Abase
panradhu (அேப�
ப�ற)
Madurai Tamil Madurai local slang.
Abase panradhu To steal.
English abase and Tamil panradhu (to do). Also used
as English loot and Tamiludradhu (உ�ற), sudradhu (=�ற) and amukardhu (அ@�$ற).
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 (அ�கி��) rogue, Accused,
criminal English Accused
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A-haan (ஆஹா!) yes English A-Haa. (When one has just discovered or
remembered something)
Allakai' (அ'ல�ைக)
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 (அேலா) Hey, there... English hello. Used to draw attention. Pure Tamil does not
have the sound'Ha'
Annthanda po'
(அ%தா�ட ேபா) Go There (go that side)
Tamil Athan andai po. (அத� அ�ைட ேபா)
Annaathe(அ�ணா ேத)
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 (அ�ண�)
Apeetu (அபீ�) 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' (அ�பாேல) Afterwards, later Tamil appuram (அ��ற�)
Asalta (அசா'டா) 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 (பி�கி)
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.
28
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].
29
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.
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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 'கழி�க�ப�ட ' 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
55
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.
56
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