Animal's People (46 page)

kurta
—fine embroidered muslin shirt worn by men and women

kushti
—wrestling

kutiya ki aulad
—son of a bitch

kya main Hindi mein samjhaun—See hindi mein samjhaun?

kyõ khã?
—So, friend?

laal imli ka gatagat
—tamarind pieces in salt and spices, sold as a chew

laat sahib
—a big shot, corruption of English “Lord sahib”

langur
—long-tailed monkey

lassi
—a yoghurt drink

latkan
—a helpmeet, a benefactor, a close mate

look london talk tokyo
—a case of a bad squint

Lukhnawi
—from Lucknow, a city renowned for its courteous speech

lund
—schlong, dick, penis

lund latkayé
—with dick dangling

lund pasanda
—the dick's favourite

madhyam
—fourth note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “fa”

Mala Sinha
—film actress

Malkauns
—serious raga of the night

marsiya
—a Muharram song about the martyrdom of Imam Hussein

masjid
—mosque

maut pade
—lit. may you die; means To hell with you; can be a greeting

mazaaq
—fun, a fun jape

mehboobi
—beloved

mela
—fair

miyañ
—polite word meaning gentleman, a cultured person

Muharram
—Shi'a festival of mourning for the death of Imam Hussein

munsipal
—municipal

murgi-ka-panja
—Chicken Claw

musaafir
—traveller

naala
—an open drainage canal

naan
—flat unleavened loaf

namaaz
—a Muslim's five-times-daily prayers

naqsheen katora
—one whose face is scarred by smallpox

nasha
—intoxication

Naya Adalat
—the new courthouse, which is two hundred years old

neem
—Azadirachta indica tree, bitter and astringent, used in herbal remedies

nishada
—seventh note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “ti”

õ
—nasal o, identical to the last syllable of French Proudhon

oot pataang
—nonsense

ous raat
—that night

pancham
—fifth note of the Indian scale, equivalent to “sol”

pandu
—contemptuous name for a policeman

qasam Khuda ki
—by god

raakhee
—a token tied by a girl on the wrist of a boy she regards as a brother

raal tapkana
—to drool, but in Khaufpur to stare, casting the evil eye

raat-ki-rani
—lit. Queen of the Night, night jasmine, cestrum nocturnum

Rajshree
—film actress

Rampuri knife
—switchblade with serrated edge, synonymous with gangsters

Reshma
—film actress

risabha
—second note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “re”

romanchik
—literally hair-raising, causing tiny hairs to stand on end

roti
—flat bread, chappati

sa re ga
—equivalent of do re mi in the Indian scale

saala, saalé
—used like English “bloody” (literally brother in law)

sadak chhaap
—street-stamped, used of street kids, hardened by that life

Sadda Miyã ki tond
—the belly of Sadda Miyã, a self-important person

sadhu
—a Hindu ascetic, one who has renounced the world

sahib
—title of respect, signifying a chief or boss

santoor
—large zither

Saraswati
—Hindu goddess of music and literature

sarauta
—nutcracker

sardarji
—a Sikh man

sargam
—the Indian solfège, sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa

shabaash
—well done

shadja
—first note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “do”

shalwar
—a pair of light loose trousers fitting closely round the ankles

shalwar kameez
—long loose shirt worn over a pyjama, with a scarf

shamiana
—a marquee tent, usually bright and heavily decorated

Shammi Kapoor
—film actor

Shatrugan
—Shatrugan Sinha, well known film villain

shayiri
—poetry, typically in a recital or contest

sherwani
—a fancy embroidered tunic

Siva
—Hindu god of dance, music, etc.; he is also the great destroyer

supari
—small pieces of betel nut, sweetened, used to freshen the breath

taal
—lake

talaiyya
—pond

tamaasha
—hoohah, spectacle

tapori
—a loafer, a spiv

tauba tauba tauba
—prayer to Allah meaning “forgive”

thook
—a spit

topi pehnana
—to make a dickhead of someone

utar dena
—to make someone else pay

Vilayat
—Europe

vintage car
—an older person who likes hanging around with the young

wah wah
—wow, bravo, bravissimo

wali saheb
—used of one who is simple-minded

Waqar and Wasim
—Waqar Younis & Wasim Akram, Pakistani swing bowlers

X-ray
—skeletal, how Zafar and Farouq looked during the hunger strike

yaar
—friend, chum, used like the English “mate”

Yavanapuri
—morning raga

yoga sutras
—classical treatises on yoga, the most famous is Patanjali's

zabri
—prick, Lebanese slang Animal picked up who knows where

zapaat
—long and thin, like Zafar's nose, a kingsize conk

zari-work
—intricate embroidery with gold and silver thread