Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: ெமட்ராஸ் பாைஷ),

Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: ெமட்ராஸ் 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!

Staita po! (Adverb Verb)

Go straight! Nerāga Sel! (Adverb Verb)
(also Steittaa po!)

1
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.

2
 Standard Tamil Madras bashai Meaning

irukkiṛāy (இருக்கிறாய்) kiṛē (கிேற) You are there.

irukkiṛatu (இருக்கிறது) kītu (கீ து) it is there.

Dragged
iluttukkoṇṭu(இழுத்துக்
istukinu(இஸ்துகினு) with (participle of Izhukkiradhu (இழுக்கற
ெகாண்டு)
து - to drag)

kūṭṭikkoṇṭu(கூட்டிக்ெகா
iṭṭukinu (இட்டுகினு) Bring along
ண்டு)

3
 appālikā,appāllē,appa(அப்பாலி
appuram (அப்புறம்) Then
கா, அப்பாேல,அப்ப)

kilittuviṭuvēn (கிழித்து
kīciṭuvēn(கீ சிடுேவன்) I'll tear [you] apart.
விடுன்)

inkē uṭkārunkaḷ (இங்ேக inka kuntu,inke park

Please Sit Here.
உட்காருங்கள்) pannika (இங்க குந்து)

kiṇṭal paṇṛē (கிண்டல்

kalāykkaṛē(கலாய்க்கேற) You are kidding me.
பண்ேற)

anka (அங்க) annanṇṭa(அன்னண்ட) There

It would take a while to carry out your

service. Some of the service providers use
Thamatham this phrase to dissuade the customers that
Lettaagum(ேலட்டாகும்) they are not willing to carry out the
aagum (தாமதம் ஆகும்)
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

4
 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

5
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 Inaa Rajasekaraa? (இன்னா

What Rajasekaran?
ராஜேசகரன்?) ராஜேசகரா?)

Gudisai (குடிைச) Gudse, Gudchae (குட்ேச) Hut

Veedu (வடு)
0 Voodu, Oodu (வூடு) House

Pazham (பழம்) Payam (பயம்) Fruit

Sappidu (சாப்பிடு) Thunnu (துன்னு) Eat

6
Ematrukiraya (ஏமாற்றுகிறாயா) Dabaikeeriya (டபாய்க்கிறியா) Cheating, Dodging, Evading

deegenta, regenta (டீெஜன்டா,

Nagarigamaga (நாகrகமாக) Decent, Decency
rெஜன்டா)

naiyandi' (ைநயாண்டி) Kalaikuriya (கலாய்க்கிறியா) Joke

Valikkalai' (வலிக்கவில்ைல) Nogalai' (ேநாகைல) Is it not paining?

Madras bashai (ெசன்ைன

English
பாைஷ)

Are you ready? Ready-aa? (ready-ஆ?)

Am I late? Late-aa? (late-ஆ?)

Is it OK? OK-vaa? (ok-வா?)

7
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' (நாஸ்தா), etc. Telugu: 'naina' (ைநனா), 'baava' (பாவா), 'eppudu' (எப்புடு),
'cheppu', dabbu, duddu(Money) etc.
Examples

Meaning in
Word/phrase Origin, usage
context

Aapu adchichu (ஆப்பு To result in Tamil aapu (ஆப்பு) is a thin triangular wedge (usually made of
அடிச்சு) failure. metal) used in carpentry to split wood or hold half-split
wood. adchichu(அடிச்சு) means to hit. So this phrase literally

8
 means hit/split by a wedge implying a failure

AaaKoa (ஆக்ேகா) Over enthusiastic. Tamil aarva kolaaru (ஆ;வக் ேகாளாறு - over enthusiasm).

Adan kokka
makka(அடாங் your sister's son
Tamil Ada un akka magan / magal
or daughter.
ெகாக்க மக்கா)

Aaf-Paayil (ஆஃப் Half-boiled egg.

Vendhum English Half boiled
பாயில்) vegathathu.

Aleka (அெலகா) Smoothly Tamil Aazhaga (அழகா) (beautifully)

Aalinaal
Alaguraaja(ஆலின்ஆ Jack of all arts. English All in all
ல் அழகுராஜா)

Tamil Aatha referring to mother;'di'is a suffix that is always

Aathaadi (ஆத்தாடி) Oh my Lady!!.
added when referring to female while 'da' is used for males.

9
 ...To steal.
Usage Avan
Aattaya
Aattaya
potutan meaning
poadrathu(ஆட்டய He Stole. Similar Madurai Tamil Madurai local slang.
ேபாடறது) to Abase
panradhu (அேபஸ்
பண்றது)

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

Abase panradhu To steal. as English loot and Tamiludradhu (உட்றது), sudradhu (சுடுற
து) and amukardhu (அமுக்குறது).

A very intelligent
way to trick This was the method adopted by the great GB for getting
Adho paaru kaaka
people and make a paani pooris.
fool of them.

Older woman who

annty
is really hot.

rogue, Accused,
Akkisht (அக்கிஸ்ட்) English Accused
criminal

10
 English A-Haa. (When one has just discovered or
A-haan (ஆஹாங்) yes
remembered something)

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
Allakai' (அல்லக்ைக) Use Less Fellow Tamil valathu kai
came from the
word Alra
kai meaning the
person will even
clean any shit of a
stronger person.
Typically meaning
aweaselly
acquaintance

Allu illa' Shit Scared! No idea.

Act of English Leaving someone who believed in you helpless, in

Alva kudukradhu' deceiving,chicaner the hour of need.
y or cheating -

11
 done very
smartly.Dialogue
made famous by
Tamil actor
Sathyaraaj.

English hello. Used to draw attention. Pure Tamil does not

Allo (அேலா) Hey, there...
have the sound'Ha'

Annthanda po' Go There (go that

Tamil Athan andai po. (அதன் அண்ைட ேபா)
(அந்தாண்ட ேபா) side)

Elder brother.
Often referred to a
respectable
person. Also used
Annaathe(அண்ணாத் when one wants
to surrender Tamil Annan (அண்ணன்)
ேத) unconditionally.an
nathe
utturu meaning,
Oh Lord please
give me life.

Apeetu (அபீ டு) To exit Language English [abate-die away], rhyme/antonym of

quickly/Vanish repeatu, as in 'mudhala apeetu apparam repeatu'(First

12
 from the spot. apeetu, then repeat)

Aani Pudunga
Vendaam- Do not try
to play around.

Appalae' (அப்பாேல) Afterwards, later Tamil appuram (அப்புறம்)

To do something Etymology not known for certain. Possibly

Asalta (அசால்டா)
very easily. from Hindi/Urdu 'Aasaan' easy or from English(assault).

To hit someone, or
to steal
From Tamil 'Adi'. Example: Parsa ashatu ottan!, or as
Ashtan something, or
in Sarakku ashtu parthunindhaba
consume
something

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

Saying So? in a From English 'Hey!, as in Ayye, eppo innandre? Tamil Iyo,
Ayye
derogatory way. Iyako

13
Baamaayilu Palm oil. English Palm + English oil.

Unrecoverable
Bondy Etymology uncertain.
failure

refers to the
female who
engages in refers to the bucket used by vendors to sell the ground nuts
Bucketu
'kadalai'(flirting/r in beaches to couples.
andom talk with
opposite sex)

Hip and region

Bagilu Hindi bagal (underarm).
around it.

A loud, unruly
Bajaari woman, like a Urdu bazaar (market).
fish-seller.

Possibly from the style statements of James Bond. (Bond =

Bandha/Peteru Stylish
Bandha)/ TAlking too much english

Batli
Derogatory term English From bottle. A reference to a

14
 for a woman. woman's hourglass shape. Used as Batli maadiri oru figure

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

Experience the
Belaak English language From Bela Belaak(Often used as akula)
akula

English Language From Bugle - taken most probably from

Bigilu Whistle.
the music of the army.

Baeku Imbecile. Urdu bevkoof (stupid).

Baemani.(Beimaan in
Urdu means a person
who has no ethics/ Urdu bae +
scruples/ integrity imani (without +
and Beimaani means shame).
the trait of
dishonesty)

Someone who
wearsWesternized Probably from the Hollywood westernDjango popular in the
Bigjang
clothes and/or 1970s in Madras.
accessories, even
sunglasses.

15
 Derogatory.

Illustrates the
whimsical way
girls dump From Britannia Milk Bikis biscuit (hand the guy a Milk Bikis
Bikki (பிக்கி)
Chennai guys. that you'd normally give a kid)
Guys never do
that!

bigwig, usually as in 'mama biscothu'(Tamil movie : Oora Therinjukitten

Biscothu sarcastically (1998))! Just as they say biskut for biscuit in Hindi. See
meant. also: paruppu

Bhel, Piila Telling Lies. Unknown

Boring, worthless English blade.Example usage: Dey, blaydu padam

Blaydu
or useless da meaning The film was a drag or A boring film

Someone who
wears thick From soda buddi (soft drink bottle). Analogous to Coke
Buddi
glasses. bottom glasses.
Derogatory.

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

16
 an insult?

Tamil for small house. Usually the concubines/prostitutes

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

Nothing exists
Chanse illai ---
more than this.

Derived from
Tamil Cinema
Comedy comedies,referring
piece/Dummy piece to a weakling
acting too smart
and gets fooled.

Derived from the

Tamil for trying to get things done without anyone noticing
Cycle Gapla English word Cycle
it
and Gap

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

17
Dakaalte also English 'Dacoit' (which is itself derived from the Hindi
pronounced dakaiti). Example usage:Intha dakaalte velai yellam or Avan
To cheat
as Takaalti or Dakaite oru bayangaram-aana dakaitee party Made popular
e by Tamil comedian, Goundamani.

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

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

Dabba Junk.
padam (junk movie).

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

Hindi/Urdu dafe (times). Do dafe doonga - Meaning I'll give

Dabu Occasion.
two times. in Madras Slang its "Rendu Daba kuduppen"

Hindi dada (literally paternal grandfather, used as a term of

Kingpin, ganglord, respect among underworld crime families). **More apt
Dada
don. would be Bengali dada (meaning big brother who lays the
rules or dictates terms.

Dhanks Refers to Thanks. Romba Dhanks Ba

18
 similar to ravunudu and Damathoondu. Popularized by Rajni
Kanth in the movie Annamalai, when he sees Kushbhu naked
Dhavlundu Refers to less.
in the washroom. Dhamathoondu thuni kooda illa
baa meaning Not even a small bit of cloth in her body.

Used with prefix

Domaru 'Poda' to say Poda Word of insult, usually said in a humorous way.
Domar.

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

Unknown. Could refer to the sound made by an explosion

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

An insignificant
fool pretending to
Dummy piece be a genuine
something(rowdy,
rhug,rich person)

Dhanda Soru Similar to Allakai useless Fellow

19
 Merciless beating, Tamil dharma adi meaning just (as in justice) or destined
Dharma adi usually by a beating. dharmam = charity/to donate. Dharma adi means
group. free beating.

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

'Ayye',saying 'So?' effectively in humiliating manner in the midst of a
Dhoda
in a belittling conversation to ascertain authority over the counterpart in
manner debate/conversation.

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

A superlative, as
after a good ass-kicking. 'Dhool' is also used as 'Dhool
Dhool in well
kalappitai' where kalappitai refers to the action of starting
done! or kick ass!.
or kicking up (dust).

Chutzpah, guts, as
in Do you have the
Dil guts to step Urdu dil (heart), metaphorically indicatescourage.
outside and fight
like a man?!.

Drainage derived
from English Ditch
Ditchu
and spoken
asKawa

20
 Unattractive
Dokku as in Dokku Figaru. Antonym of Figaru
Woman

(Popularized by comedians Chinni Jayanth and Veeniraadai

Dubaakour Consummate liar
Moorthy)

Dumil udradhu Acting Too Smart

Dhuddu Money. Kannada duddu (money).

Egg mixed with Famous and delicious food item name in Triplicane. Sourced
DingDong
gravy. from South part of Tamil Nadu.

Origin uncertain (Gourmet?). Used mostly by college

Dommai Glutton. Carefree.
students.

Used to refer to
Origin some BPO guy, who misspelled the word. Used mostly
Doen the word DOWN.
by tech support.
Eg. DSN Doen

Run fast, Run Telugu Eguru, as in Macha, mama varaan,

Eguru
away, Scold, Jump eguru or Sarkkadichi voottukku pona, engappa emmele
(Depends on the egiritaruda orEgiri bus-le erittanda aven. egiRuthal in

21
 context) normal Tamil means to jump, bounce.

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

sadness. Also
means love
Feelingu/Pheeling/Fe
(usually used in a English Feelings, as in Emotions.
elings
'mushy-mushy'
sense)

English figure, as in Oru semma figaru varathu meaning An

Figaru Attractive woman. attractive woman is approaching. Note: Used in neuter
gender.

Literally let it free.

Figuratively, let
bygones be
Free-a-Vidu English free.
bygones.
Pronounced as
Pree-a-vudu.

Public! Famous in
Fublic puthupettai and English Public.
the surroundings

22
 Stink, foul odour.
Often used
figuratively to
Gabbu Telugu gabbu (stink, foul odor).
describe
situations,
personalities etc.

Gaajju Sleazy, dirty. For example a Gaajju joke.

Finished, as Urdu khali meaning empty or finished. Originally

Gaali
in He's finished!. from Arabic.

A subgenre of Hindi gaana (song) + Tamil paattu (song). Used for songs
Gaana paattu
Tamil film music. with fast rhythmic beats.

Usage gaanda kelappathe. Gaand refers to butttocks

Gaandu to irritate a person
in Hindi. See Also: Kaduppu

1. Fracas, Etymology not known for certain. Possibly

Galatta brouhaha 2. Chaos from Turkey (Galata was asuburb of Istanbul known for
3. Celebration. its nightlife) or from English gala.

Galiju Dirty, Can be used Kannada, meaning dirty.

in any context.

23
 Widely used to
refer to
bit(matter)

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
Fraudulent would not tally because management funneled money
Gandhi kannakku
accounting. 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!!!

Connotes deliberate disinformation, as opposed to genuine

Disinformation, misinformation. Usually refers to fundamental falsehoods, as
Gapsaa
lies. opposed to lame excuses. Comparereel, peela. Most probably
related to gabbu (stink), somparable to stinking lies.

Gelichan He won. Telugu gelupu (victory).

Super, Better than

Gethu Origin unknown
normal.

24
 (Figuratively eq
of) My
adang goyyangoo Tamil Unga akka (your sister's) + makka(magan - son)
goodness!, Holy
cow!, etc

(This word is of recent origin) Gilfans,Silfans etc have their

A person with a
Gilfans etymological roots in comedian Chinni Jayanth's repository
shady background
of words.

Gujal Fun Ore gujala irundichi machi

Gilma Strange stuff One more from Chinni Jayanth

Also called Ghilli, from a street game played with wooden

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

Root - Goda from the Hindi word for a wrestling

Godavula Gudhi Jump into the fray
pit, Gudhi from Tamil meaning Jump

A form of address
Goiya,Goyyala similar toMachi. Possibly from Tamil for 'guava'.
But it can be
interpreted as

25
 dumb or useless
person also.

Telugu speaker.
Golti Can be By reversing the consonants in te-lu-gu to give gulti or golti
derogatory.

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

Goodhal Trickery, fraud
resorted to trickery to win that business deal.

Used in the context of 'Gumbaloda Govinda' 'Gumbala

Gumbal Crowd
porom'

Usually refers to
situations like
peer-pressure, or
societal norms,
where individual
beliefs/actions are Tamil gumbal (crowd), Sanskrit gOvinda(name of Vishnu).
GumbalOda gOvinda Derived from the large crowds of pilgrims at Tirupati. Play
overridden by
mass reaction. on words gOvinda and the English go or gone.
Also refers to
insignificant
individual
contributions
overlooked in a

26
 group.

Someone born to a
Gumbalukku crowd. Probably to
Porandavane a victim of gang
rape.

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

Gujjaals
out. often shown by Srihari Shankar and Varun Vaitheeswaran

Young girl, usually

invented when there was a heavy influx of Gujaratis into
Gujili attractive and
Madras: Gujju + Kili = Gujili
easily available

Young girl, usually

invented when Indians went to the west and saw large
attractive (large
Gum Paapa breasted white skin females: Gum + Paapa = Gum Paapa
breasted) and
also referred to as Gumthaax
easily available

Unexpected
Goinda
failure.

Inglipeesu The language Also called Ingleesu or Engleesu.

'English', usually

27
 in ridicule.

Ippidikaa This way. Origin Tamil from the word Ippadi

Probably in use due to ease for typical Tamil tongue to

literal meaning of
Iskool pronounce iskool. Similar words are Institute is pronounced
School
asinstoot, Excuse is pronounced as esoosor echoos

literal meaning Telling someone to take it away or carrying it away (See

Isthukunu po
taking away also 'Vali')

Itta/Ittinnuva/Isthu Tamil izhuthu-kondu-vaa (Pull him over here). Also

Fetch (someone)
nuva pronounced as Ista

Something similar
to bandha- show
Jaburu or Jabaradast from zabardast - Urdu meaning grand, extra ordinary,
off , acting pricey,
u forceful
like in innaadaa
jabardastu paNRE?

To escape from Hindi jagah (space, room) and Tamilvaangaradhu (to buy, to
Jagaa vaangaradhu
the scene. get). Literally means to get room [to escape].

28
 Hindi Widely believed that a Hindi ignorant Tamil guy read
the word written in Hindi, near the compartment toilet and
To have a bowel
Jalaai misunderstood that Jalaai in Hindi meantto shit. Apparently,
movement
the person had readInflammable objects not allowed written
as Jalaaishi padaarth mana hai

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

probably from Salsa, with its suggestive fast moves and

Jalsa Enjoy close contact in life. Or from Urdu Jalsa which means
something like a carnival.

Hindi-
speaker, North Hindi jhatkaa (cart, also sudden shock). Play of
Jatkaa
Indianperson. words Jat and Jhatkaa.
Derogatory.

Possibly from Hindi joota (shoe) andEnglish repair or

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

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

Jollu Vidurathu To ogle at a girl.
that one does not realise the saliva dripping.

29
 To Abbreviation of Just out of time; often used in kid's games of
Joot escape/hide/run/ Catch, or Hide and Seek - Waitees for pause, and Jooties for
give the slip. resume.

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

(or unimportant) job. 2)Ivan oru jujubee da=He's just small
Small, fry (he can't do anything)
Jujube/jujupee unimportant, easy
or minuscule. 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.

Misfielding an
Kaava Vidradhu easy chance in
cricket
Blind. used in a
Kabodhi
derogative sense
Anyone of north
Indian origin,
Kaboor Derived from Kapoor, a common north Indian surname.
whose native
language is Hindi.
Refers to the
Example : Don't Kanpiece me.., Machi romba kanpiece
Kanpiece English
panadha da..
wordconfuse.
1. Petty crook. 2. English. Old Chennai police abbreviation for either known
KD An unusually delinquent, known depredator or known defaulter or Known
intelligent Denotified person.

30
 criminal.3;Cunning
person
Tamil kutcheri which is a traditional Tamil music concert.
Derived as the party 'play' the mouth of the bottles with
Kacheri Drinking party.
both hands like a naadaswaram (South Indian instrument
like a saxophone)
Tamil kadalai, verkadalai (nut, groundnut). Possibly from
groundnut vendors who provided snack food to couples on
Kadalai Verbal flirting.
the beach, or in trains. Connotes flirting without serious
intentions. See Also: Batting
To impress with
Kalakaradhu one's Tamil, (to mix, to stir).
performance.
To make fun of
Also used as 'Kalasi', Example: College pasanga
Kalaaikkaradhu someone, or to
kalaisiduvanunge!
belittle someone
An interesting off-shoot of classical Tamil, kamnatti derives
from KaimpeNdaati paiyan which stands for a young widow's
Kamnatti A clown or a jerk. 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)
Possibly from Sanskrit kash malam is Sanskrit word with
meaning 'கழிக்கப்பட்டது ' or kash mailam (black dirt).
Synonymous
Kasmaalam with idiot(the idiot Comparing someone with hair is considered rude in Tamil
being a litote). culture. Maalamis also a slang word for shit. Some say '
kasmalam' (one word) in Sanskrit means a dirty thing
worthy of discarding.

31
 Tamil,Kattai (literally log of wood) - the sturdier higher
Referring to a hot
Kattai quality wood can easily be distinguished by their distinctive
female.
curvy grain pattern.
Referring to some
Tamil,Kattai refers to wood. Comparable to sleeping/lying
Kattai one who does not
like a log.
respond. Inert.
Derogatory word and derived fromKazhudai(donkey) in
Kaidhe Donkey.
chaste Tamil
I Will Meet Him
Kandukunu Varen Tamil Avarai sandhikiren
And Come.
Kenai Fool. Malayalam kenai (mad).
Refers to an old woman. Derived fromKizhavi in chaste
Keivi An old Woman.
Tamil. Mostly used in a derogatory sense.
Invariably goes
with 'moLLa
In British times people were given different coloured caps
maaRi' and '
based on their status in work. The guy who changes the cap
Kepmaari mudichchavikki'
(mathurdu in Tamil) is a traitor/thief hence the word
(this term literally
kepmaari (cap-maari).
means one who
unties knots!!!)
An abbreviation
for the word Kora
Maasathula Tamil Kora Maasathula Piranthavan(Person of premature
Piranthavan birth). Piranthavan is pronounced Poranthavan in local
Ko Ma Po
meaning a person slang. So the abbreviation came to be Ko Ma Po instead of
of premature Ko Ma Pi.
birth. Used against
a person as a

32
 slight swear word
saying that his
brain and other
associated parts
have not grown to
their actual
capacity because
of his premature
birth.
Tamil kozha adi sandai (water pump fight). Connotes
Kozha adi sandai Major catfight.
fighting over who gets how much water and in what order.
Sarcasm about
accomplishment
Kiichae Tamil kizhithai (You've torn it).
i.e. fat lot you
have accomplished
Is it there? used
for objects, things
etc eg: dabbu
Kiithaa kiithaa? - is there
any money?-
irukkiRathaa? in
chaste Tamil
Is he/she there?
used for people.
eg: kabali
Kiiraana/Kiiraala kiiraana? - is
kabali there?
irukkiRanaa ? in
chaste Tamil

33
 (or) 'Krishayil' a colloquial probably due to saying KeRoSeNe
Kishnayil Kerosene oil. oil quickly.due to its blue colour..krishna oil,lord krishna's
blue colour..
To mix up the
things in improper Common usage in games like carroms, to spread the coins,
Kondhivudu
fashion or not use coinsa kondhivudu
aligned.
Unnecessarily
showing off by
using loud
Koral kudukaradhu
voice(koral).kudu
karadhu literally
meansto give
To eat
shamelessly,
Tamil kotta To pour/dump. Literally means to dump for
Kottikaradhu especially if the
oneself.
food is free
(OC food).
The reuse of an ancient Tamil word. In contemporary formal
Kundhu Sit down! Tamil, utkaaral. Related to Kannada kuLithukoLLi (please sit
down), ,Telugu koochandi
Tamil kuthu paattu (literally a song with punch!), as in
Kuthu RevelryTamil
dappaankuthu.
Synonymous
Kutti Possibly from Malayalam kutti (young girl).
with figaru.
Synonymous
Kotikiniye Kotikiniye (had food).
with thunutiye.
Laard Labakdass A person who English lord

34
 thinks very highly
of himself
(without any solid
basis for that
assumption).
From English leave, as in leave of absence. Also used in
Leevu Holiday. formal business English as 'leave' (shortened form of leave
of absence)
Bantering. Tamil for the sound made by a dog (analogous to bow
Lollu
Fussing. wow in English).
To check someone
English look and Tamil vudaradhu (to let off, to flash).
out, especially if
Lookku vudaradhu Implies a much shorter duration and less intensity than jollu
it's an attractive
vittufication or sight adichification.
person.
English loose as in screw-loose or nut-job. Also see arai-
Loosu Crazy.
loosu.
Loosule Vudu Let it go. English lose as in Lose it or leave it be/ignore it.
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
Lowe Puppy Love.
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.
English Lump sum. Popularized by comedians Goundamani
Lumpaa Lump sum.
and Senthil.
Any kind of
Maal / Maalu commission paid
to middle men,

35
 also used to mean
bribes/money.
Usually followed
vettu (maalu vettu
- give
commission/bribe
). Urdu maal-
saamaan-
material.
Bribe paid to
Maamool (Urdu-Hindi)Maamool = money.
police man
Synonymous
Tamil machinan, colloquial machan (wife's brother). Implies
Machi with dude, used in
familiarity, cannot be used with strangers. See also maams.
a positive sense.
Majaa Fun (Hindi-Urdu) Mazaa = 'fun'.
refers to either a
policeman or pimp
Mama or Mamey Tamil mama = uncle. Not to be confused with maams.
depending on the
context.
Tamil for uncle's house. Usually the uncle's house was the
Mama Veedu Brothel, bar
main centre for a group of people to have a good time.
refers to either a
brahmin
girl/woman, or a
Mami middle-aged Tamil for aunt.
woman in general,
depending on the
context.

36
 refers to jail,
Mamiyaar veedu Tamil maamiyaar = mother-in-law; veedu = house;.
police lock-up
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- Refers to the Queen of spades. (literal Tamil origin Mangal +
Mangaattha
Veliye' (In-Out) Aatha = dark complexioned woman)
refers to the
sleight of hand
that the card
dealer uses to
move the cards
around
refers to an
additive added to
make the kites
string (also called
Noolu) stronger,
the additive is
The glass powdered based chemical used in kite strings used
apparently a
Maanja in deal fights in kite flying usage mamey deala innika banava
concotion of tar,
ashcitunga.
glass pieces, dogs
shit and battery
covers. This
additive when
applied on the
string makes the

37
 string strong for
kite (called Banas)
fights commonly
referred to as
Deal.
refers to a bravery
of Men. Related
phrases are
'Nenjula Manjaa
soru irukaaa
maaamu??
meaning i will
Manjaa Soru 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.
To become flat
due to excessive
Mattai intake of alcoholic Example: paiyan over a sarakku adichitu mattai aayitanba!!.
tuff. Also used for
Cricket bat.
Refers to a sooper
figure whose body
Massa massa English Full of mass
mass index is a
little high and

38
 moves lazily.
Literally refers to
hair, but used to
Mayir - Ancient Tamil for 'hair', Poda Mayiru or Poda
Mayiru / Mayiraandi abuse a person 'as
Mayiraandi (Poda-Off you go, Mayir-hair, Aandi-loser)
worthless as a
hair-strand'.
Bribe (used as a
Meteru question Tamil --
mostly/surprise)
Really? (used as
Meyaaluma an exclamation of Tamil Mey = Truth.
disbelief/surprise)
Superlative usage This is a derivative of the wordMokkaiyappar who was a
Mokkai group
of blaydu king, famous for his blaydu jokes. (Poor Jokes - PJ)
A person who
cracks really bad This is a derivative of the wordMokkaiyappar who was a
Mokkai
jokes or a bad king, famous for his blaydu jokes. (Poor Jokes - PJ)
joke.
Sometimes MUCHA is referred asUCCHA Probably from
Mucha Referring to urine
CHITTOOR SLANG.
Refers to a woman
belonging to the
lower economic Antonym of Mary. Possibly (Sanskrit)Muni + Amma = ascetic
Muniyammaa
strata - usually a lady.
slum dweller in
urban Chennai.
Literally means a
Mudchavikee For meaning refer to molla maari
person who unties

39
 knots.
Restaurant that
The armed forces are thought to have
Military hotel serves non-
fewer vegetarians than the general population.
vegetarian food.
A secondary
version of dude, Telugu nana (father). Some Tamilians with Telegu ancestry
Naina
used to imply use this term in their homes to address the father.
criticism.
Urdu nashta (light snacks). Also referred as 'Tiffin'. However
Nashta Breakfast.
tiffin could also mean evening snacks or any light meal.
Straight. As in From the Tamil word Neettum meaning long. Probably
Neataa 'Appadiya neeataa because of the association of length with straigthness
weld pannu.' especially in machine shops.
Useless fellow.
Probably invented
and popularised
Ngoiyaaley'
by Comedy
Hero Vadivelu
(Viagai Puyal)
Knickers or shorts.
As in 'Nijaar
Nijaar From the English word Knickers.
kaituradhu.'
meaning 'fucked'
OB is pronounced as the individual letters O and B.
Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from Off Beat,
OB adikaradhu To waste time. oldBritish military term meaning off duty. Also possibly
from Out of Business or from O'l Bhajanai (local slang
for doing nothing).

40
 Free, at no cost.
From OCS, Indian Railways abbreviation meaning On
(Could also mean
OC Company Service. Parcels marked OCS travel free.Some say
Old Cask Rum at
this is an abbreviation for Others' Cost!!
wine shops)
known as "pottu
kadalai" in other used in cooking, odachakadala chutney is famous side dish
Odacha Kadala
parts of Tamil for tiffen items
Nadu
the art of
lying.Making your
lie an obvious one manasakshiye illaama ole udaraan dameaning he's lying
OLE
so that others can ruthlessly
figure it out very
easily.
A person who lies
OLEMARI
often.
OLE Okkadha Don't bluff
Referring to a
person from rural
regions Ooru or Oo
Oor Nattan.
rrefers to villages
and Nattanbeing
any person.
Derived from the Tamil word 'Utkarunga'. Rule of madras
Okkanchikka To sit bashai is that you should not give respect. Example, dei
ramesu, appdiye okkachikkada, intha vantten!!
Making fun of Kalaiee (the one being made fun of): yen machi ippadi
Oru Flow thaan
someone/thing kalai'kire?

41
 without missing a
Kalaier (the one making fun of the kalaiee): Seri vidu, ellam
beat.
oru flow thaan.

Outte Same as Gaali. English out, used in the context of cricketor other sports.
To switch camps, Tamil, paal (milk) and mararadhu (to change). Implies
Paal mararadhu to betray a a cow unexpectedly changing to a bull as one is milking it,
confidence. with unwanted consequences.
Milky white Tamil Made popular by Vishal in the Tamil film song 'Paal
"Paal Pappali"
breasts Pappalli'
Vulgar term for
person who is
Root Word: Gumbal...Example:'Poda
Panni Gumbal born by
#REDIRECT Panni Gumbal'.
intercourse with
animals.
Refers to stunt wired moves made by heroes in local movies
To fight by in street-fight scenes which feature impossible kicks and
Parandhu parandhu
jumping and flying moves defying physics. (Lately the term 'Matrix stunt
adikkaradhu
in the air kudukkardhu' (offerMatrix-style stunts) has come to mean
something similar)
Peela Petty lie/ boast. Example: Enna peela vudre?
Example: Pee porikki means shit gatherer, Pee
Pee Aai/ Shit.
Thinnu means eat shit.
Completely dumb Example: Pikkaali Payale means a dumb person or someone
Pikkaali
/ Idiotic completely useless.
Persons of Tamil
Also Peter party. Also used to label those who
origin who
Peter, Mary consider Tamil infra dig, or those who speak it with a fake
speak English in
Western accent.
preference to

42
 the Tamil
language,
especially if his
intention is to
impress others.
Philim Show off From English Film. Similar to Hindi Phillum!!
Motivational word
that helps people
gain confidence Tamil Pirikkardhu. To open something. Also can be used
Pirikrom over whatever as Pirikkanum, meaning we have to come out with flying
they are doing. colors.
Similar to kalaka
porom
Podrathu Fucking [Usage] Machi podra avala
Unoccupied,
usually unusable
or fallow land. Mispronunciation of 'Pembroke', as inLord Pembroke, who
Porambokku Derogatively and stated that land belonging to no one would belong to the
dismissively, a government.
person without
identity, a nobody.
Thing of
importance.
Origin: Tamil. Porul, which in a pure sense, refers to the
Porul Sometimes alluded
content or inner meaning of a phrase or word.
to a minor weapon
(eg:pen knife)
Origin: Tamil. A 'packet' made using, usually, news paper.
Pottalam Ganja Cheap Marijuana is usually sold in a news paper wrapped
packet and is called 'pottalam' or 'potlam' ('potlam' is more

43
 of a Peter language). Hindi pOtli is equivalent of Tamil
pottalam.
same as
Pottu Thaaku
"Kalakaradhu"
Synonymous to Minor/Zamin(Zamindar) and Durai(White-
Pista Local tycoon.
man)
Puttukinaan He died.
Raseedhu Receipt of sale English Receipt
From Ravai - Ground Semolina (Suji in Hindi)which is small
Ravondu in small quantity
in size.
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
Pitifully lame
Reel picture to be projected on screen while the operator chased
excuses.
the reel across the room and mounted it back.Reel therefore
refers to an obviously implausible story. See
also: gapsaa,peela, philim
Showing off,
probably including
Rousu udardhu challenging English to rouse.
others. To arouse
attention.
Rowdy Ruffian. Indian term transliterated to English.
The rap sheet of a
Rowdy-sheet rowdy known to
the police.
Sarakku Refers to Liquor, Sarakku: 'goods' in English.

44
 in a lesser sense,
other illicit goods
like drugs, and
smuggled items.
Refers to either a
weapon, most
commonly a knife,
OR genitals of a
man. Could also
mean general
Saaman Hindi Saamaan: thing.
luggage,
e.g.,Saaman
erakki anga
veimeaning, unloa
d the luggage and
stow it there
Also known
as Matter padam, To escape detection, the first few minutes of these movies
Saami padam
refers to a risque usually depict devotional scenes.
movie
Commonly used by everyone to refer to hitting someone, or
Saathu Literally slam. making a point as in 'appadi pottu saathu'. Also mostly used
in 'Pottu Saathu'
Sappaaththu Shoe. Malaysian/SL Tamil
Verbal abuse
Possibly from Tamil saavu (death) andgraaki (spurious
Saavugraaki against bad
buyer or peddler) givingcustomer of Death.
drivers.
Fast, smooth, Possibly from the blurring sound of something moving fast.
Sallu, Salunnu
quick. Equivalent of English whirr/buzz.

45
 Very Easy Thing,
Not interesting
Sappa Matter or Salpi thing. Sappai/ Example Sappa Matter mama
Chappai in chaste
Tamil is flat.
Semma Very (adj.) Tamil Semmai or Chemmai
Sevulu Cheek(adj.) Tamil Sevilu or Sevulu
Shaat Adikkardhu Fucking. From the English word "shot", pronounced "shaat'.
From the English word "Sure", pronounced with a vernacular
Shuvar Sure, confirmed.
flavour.
Admiring women
from a distance,
Sightu Adikkaruthu usually without Sight English Adikarrathu Tamil
the woman's
knowledge.
Lazy fellow; word
Somari originates from Tamil Usage: Po da somaari (Go away, you lazy fellow)
Kannada
Synonymous with
Koral udaradhu =
literally make too
Sound udaradhu Tamil udaradhu (release).
much
'Sound'/voice
(Kural)
Usage: Adhu sothai figuru maamu!Literally:
Sothai Rotten.
decayed/damaged.
Originally refers Known for his distinctive style and screen presence. Similar
Super Star
to TamilActor Rajn emulatory names likeShining Star, Little Super Star have

46
 ikanth been taken up by other actors in South India
Cheap, strong and
harmful liquor that
may contain
poisonous Pronounced sulphate aa from Copper Sulphate, commonly
substances present in such potions. From banned liquor that the rural
including copper poor hastily prepare by boiling (instead of fermenting) basic
Sulphata
Sulphate,methanol ingredients like rice gruel, along with a wide variety of
, formaldehyde an organic substances, sometimes, even including tyres and
dformic acid. petroleum.
Similar potions
include 'chappi'
and 'kalakkal.'
A phrase much
used by students
after coming out
Soor Negative
of the exam hall to
illustrate poor
performance.
A phrase
commonly used by
call centre
employees who
Suthi Vuttiya avoid taking calls
by refreshing their
positions in the
list of people
taking calls.
Unknown. Probably onamatopoeic from the sound of a
Susu Urine
person urinating. Derived from Hindi (ShuShu- Urinate)

47
 Telugu 'Takkari' - As in Takkaru Figure ba. Takkar in Urdu
Takkaru Super
means Collision, confrontation.
Tension
Aawadhey or No Relax Literally Don't get tensed.
Tensan
Sarcastic way of
telling a person
Terror
that he's no
threat.
English, 'station',
which due to Tamil
As in rayilve tesan (railway station), polis tesan (police
tesan pronunciation has
station- also refer 'mamiyar veedu' above)
morphed into
tesan.
Funny, comical
Thamaashu Urdu 'Thamaashaa'. ironically this means - is it comical ??
event
Literally 'head' in
Tamil. Used
colloquially to From the movie 'Dheena', starring actor Ajith whose
Thala address gang character is called as 'Thala' by his friends. This word is now
leaders. Now used used by many others in Tamil Nadu.
in the same sense
as 'dude'.
Tharudhala Refers to Useless. Fit for Nothing Sariyana Tharudhala da
means wig. Often
used in a
Topa This is derived from the French wordtoupee
derogatory sense
to refer to the

48
 unnatural hair of
an elderly person.
Person absent
minded or not that
shrewd. Refers to
one who is not
picking up things
easily, or
someone, who
Tube light English Tube light .
takes a bit of time
to understand
(like a tube light
that flickers for a
few seconds
before lighting
up).
Udhaaru To lie. Exaggerate. Also see: reel, gapsaa
To be extra
cautious.
Ushaaru Hoshiyaar from
Urdu/Ushaaru
from Kannada
Derogatory way of
implying to
Ushaaru Panradhu Usage: "Ava oru attu figure, ushaar panrathuku unfit."
impress and pick
up a girl.
Guy from Village.
Unnu Short of Oor
Nattan.

49
 Tamil Ulkutthu . Literally inside punchesUnderhanded
Devious, sneaky,
Ulkutthu activity, as in He resorted to Ulkutthu to improve customer
fraud
experience.
Vali (Verb) as in Interestingly, 'Vali' (Verb) in chaste Tamil itself means the
'ValchchukkO', Pull same viz., 'Pull' (as in 'kaakkaay valippu' for epilepsy),
'strongaa vali' though people normally prefer ' izhu'
synonymous with odavakarai. derived from the Tamil
Venna useless person
word vennai which means butter
To do nothing. To
expend no energy
Vetti Bayangara Vetti might mean a chronically lazy person.
and towards no
end or means.
act of creating a Tamil 'veedu'(house) 'kattrathu'(to build). This procedure
prelude to a fight. involves complex body movements and ends with a complete
Voodu kattrathu
to build a house or partial prostration at the feet of the guru seeking his
(literal) blessings before the duel.
Elder Sister,
commonly used in
reference to a
female who is
Yakkaa Tamil 'Akkaa'
older than the
speaker, not
necessarily
his/her sister
Eating at the
expense of father,
Tamil 'Increasing the size of tummy without doing any work
XXL (Double X L) doing no job or
leads to increased shirt-size.'
work. Similar
to Dhanda soru

50
Chauce Means sause Tamil 'Madras Tamil for sauce. Tomato, Chilli.. whatever..'
Commonly used
with other words
Sokka to say good. eg, Tamil 'NanragaTakkara' Other usage.
like looks good -
Sokka keethu
A person with no From the Tamil word for echchil kalai or echchil ilai, a
Yechakale
shame banana leaf containing leftovers!
Eglapichu/Ducklipickl Synonymous to
y Dokapuli
To say that person
was able to induce
ok pannittan" Also known as "Madichittan".
love from his
girlfriend.
To cheat someone
or escape from a
Thanni Kaataradhu Example : Police kitta thanni Kaateetu escape aaitan ba
person right under
their nose
N. 1.Person of
North Indian
Zee Tv Example : Ponnu kaboor family daa! Ore Zee TV daa!
origin 2.Any North
Indian Language
Dappan kuthu is
the dance used to
give a happy send
dappaan kuthu
off to the person
who died. This is
very famous as

51
 well as special in
chennai with the
unique music.
Sandhu la sindhu same as cycle gap
paadardhu 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

Person who cheats in spite

of a clean out. Often
referred to a person who
Ayil Bongu or umpires the match. Being
ayuvuni bongu from the batting team, the
umpire usually denies a
clear run out or no balls the
bowler after a catch is
taken. Technically, the

52
 person cheats by crying.

This is normally used when an unskilled

Half an over. A bowler bowler (novice or a new comer)bowls and he
Baby Over bowls only 3 balls in an is too erratic in bowling; so the captain signals
over instead of normal 6. a babyover after 3 balls and sends the person
back.

English language Bowled - A colloquialization

of Bowled Him!, which is a common way of
Bowled, as in when a
Bolden expressing delight, on the part of the bowler
batsman is out Bowled.
himself, fielders, or commentators, at getting a
batsman out.

Asking for the ball which Tamil - Fielder having not willingness to fetch
Echoosme ball
has gone out of reach while the ball that has gone out of reach in a ground
please
playing in the ground. normally says this.

A common scenario when there are fewer

The same set of fielders player in both the sides, so the same players
Common Fielding
field for both the teams. get to field for both the sides, irrespective of
whichever team is batting

Kind of like Bye's in cricket; This happens

G2 or 2G 2 runs are granted without
typically when the ground is small and the ball
the batsman/ runner
runs to a place in the ground that take a long

53
 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.

English language from Gauge. Meaning

Gaajee Take a turn at batting.
corrupted to mean 'turn' or 'chance'.

Tamil - The word could be used to describe an

Failing to hold on to, or incident of a person dropping a sitter of a
Gappae or Kava
dropping, aneasy catch. catch, or, if he deserves such a reputation,
could refer to the person himself.

Sarcastic reference to bad Tamil - Teasing a bowler as if he had bowled a

Idea Bowling
bowler. great delivery.

This happens when there is one player extra

Person who bats or bowls
and cannot be taken into either team. Usually
Joker and fields for both the
he is a person who cannot play the game
teams.
properly.

English Last Ball - A direct shortening and

Uttered before the last ball colloquializing of an English term. Maybe be
LaaBaal
of an over is to be bowled. 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

54
 over)

English Last Two - A direct shortening and

Uttered when two balls
Laa-Too colloquializing of an English term. Not to be
remain in an over.
confused with 'Ladd-hoo' (below).

Tamil Laddu - The Laddu is a round, soft sweet

A ball that sits up waiting
Ladd-hoo
to be hit by the batsman.
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.

This is again a variation in the game, so that

A type of game wherein
everyone gets fair chance to play & even when
even after the one player in
a weak player is paired up with a last strong
Last man- Gajee the final batting pair is out,
batsman, he still gets to complete his entire
the last player gets to bat
game (until made out) & not unnecessarily
until he is made out
penalised

A lofted shot by the

batsman that looks to be
This happens when the ball travels higher
Local Sixer heading for a sixer but
rather than farther.
lands well inside the
boundary for an easy catch.

55
 This could also be used when a non-regular
A heavy dose of fluke
batsman swings the bat with all fury and no
Maatikichu whereby a fielder take a
focus and the ball by chance hits the meat of
blinder of a catch.
the bat and goes for a six or a boundary

a Left Hander. Often used

to describe a batsman or a
bowler who is left-
handed. lotta kaiyala adchi
win panlam Also means
Lotta
that we can play with our
left hand win over the
opponent. Often meant to
describe the weakest
opponent.

Tamil - Possible origin from Bowled Out..

Batsman claiming that he is
Not a bowled opposite is Not Bowled out.. easier way to say
not bowled out.
being Not a Bowled..

Typically a half-volley Tamil - Easy delivery. Possible origin from

OB Bandhu which allows a batsman to other madras Tamil word - OB.. meaning easy
go for a huge shot. going..

One pitch catch a variation in the game English - Typically, to quicken the pace of the
wherein even, if the ball game so that everyone in the team gets to

56
 pitches once and the fielder play. a batsman is made out even if the fielder
catches it. It still is catches a ball after one pitch
considered a legal
dismissal of the batsman.

a variation of one pitch

catch where the ball needs
English - Typically, to quicken the pace of the
One pitch catch to be caught with one hand
game so that everyone in the team gets to
one hand after the first pitch in order
play.
to be able to legally dismiss
the batsman.

An scenario wherin only This typically happens when ground is small

one side of the field is and one of field is unusable/impossible to
One side fielding
available for play (ie either play, such as a brick wall on the side, road
the leg side or the offside). obstacle etc.

A ball tossed up waiting to Tamil - the phrase literally means to put a

Pazhama Podu
be hit fruit, like a fruit ready to be plucked.

Same as ayil bongu. But

here the cheater behaves
like a bitch by not being
Potta bongu
brave enough to face the
opponents like a man and
always seeks to win by
cheating. Potta literally

57
 means bitch.

Literally meaning being

flower,in cricket it is used
Poo to describe the ball being
bowled by a bowler, which
is so easy to hit.

When after the toss, the

winning team asks the
other team to bat first
Putting bat
(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

Used to refer to
Tan the turn (or spin) that a Tamil - Corruption of the English word Turn
spin bowler generates.

Used alternatively to say the ball took the edge

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

Trials Stands for the ball usually

bowled before the innings

58
 "officially" begins. A
batsman usually opts for
this in order to gauge the
bowler's method of bowling
the ball..

Taking a catch after a ball

Tree catch/Wall Tamil - To describe a catch taken after the ball
hits a tree or a wall while
catch hit a tree or a wall.
playing street cricket.

When a batsman cannot English Hurt, Retired - Extreme corruption of

Utteetail orAdditail continue batting due to an this word is a matter of amusement and
injury and has to retire. curiosity.

English Initially there used to be fights

Denotes that the ball
bowled is not an incorrect
Yes Ball
one - basically not a wide
or a no-ball.
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.

59
 Tamil . Possibly from dok, the muffled sound
While batting, it denotes a
made when the wooden bat hits the playing
Dokku defensive stroke with a low
surface when a defensive shot is played. It can
or zero scoring potential.
also mean a dead end in Chennai slang.

This typically happens, when there are an

player batting for a second extra person in one team vs the other team, so
Doubles time in the same innings the opposing team gets to field a player bat a
even after getting out. second time to compensate for the missing
player in their team.

Used when the wicket

keeper or bowler has the
ball. The batsman uses this
The batsman uses this usually when he has to
phrase meaning that he
Wait for the crease discuss team strategies with the batsman at
retains the crease and
the other end.
denies the wicket keeper or
the bowler of running him
out.

L.B.W., or Leg Before English L.B.W. - An abbreviation of the

Yellbee or L.B. Wicket, a way of getting a acronym, spoken with the intonations (Yell for
batsman out in cricket. the letter L) that characterize Tamil.

over gaaje Playing last ball in the

previous over and taking 1

60
run so that he can play for
the next over first ball too.

61