These are collections of anecdotes, clichés and expressions from friends, aquaintances and the world wide web and is not meant to be representative of the Anglo-Indian community as a whole. Viewers are requested to take these expressions in a lighter vein and not seriously.
You gotta be an A I :
If you talk "nineteen to the dozen"
You don't wear underwear and say you're going to "Latang let it 'ang"
You know its a boy coz he has Tuttakai's
you know that any outfit can be gotten into by "Puttin' off the binder chile"
Of course every non-anglo is a "pariah "
You believe that the local "pariah " is responsible for the "Ruination of your 'usband" coz he runs the bloddy grog shop.
Youngsters using bad language have a "Grog shop gob"
When dragging a conversation you are "Pulling the jow"
When your mum threatens to "slipper you "
Lighting up a joint in reality is "Pullin the blues"
If you fall "arse over kettle"
And if you do catch your son 'pullin the blues' then you have to "Scuff him out of the 'ouse"
If you've referred to some who just died as "kicked the bucket"!!!
When you put ur hand into ur back pocket touch ur purse and say "I'll pay the bill Matcha", but not taking out the purse.......
If at least once you heard your headmaster say "TAKE YOUR TC AND GET OUT!!"
if you played "I just called to say i love you" by Stevie Wonder at least a hundred times
If your dad wore a "lungi" with his "kolkottes" hanging out from under it! Gross!!!
If your mum ironed your clothes with an "ironing box"
if you had masala dosah every time you went to vailannkanni when you go down to india
A.I. Gob Glossary
The Mrs: Instead of ‘Your wife’
Gawk : Fool or Foolish
Hop: to catch
Jhaap / Rap: threatening someone with a slap
abli: abbreviated for I Believe
Thick Thack: absolute, thoroughbred
ran-tan: on a loaf or visit
doll: dahl(legumes)
Rick: short for Rickshaw
Kunny: putting on side, showing off
blessed: a phrase of annoyance
boozard: combination of boozer and drunkard
Jharan: a tea towel
Buchi: lice
tunch: well set and ready
tamasha : putting on a show
mora: a stool
boy: cook
uff men: annoyance
arre bap re bap: a phrase used in frustration
accha: o.k.
jaldi karo: hurry up
nini: go to sleep
doolie: meat safe - to keep food stuff
men: very oftern added at the end of any word/phrase or sentence- 'no men'
tart: used to describle a good looking girl
charley billy po po: trying to be western in behaviour or dress
theek hai: its alright
Sir, Ma’am: For addressing parents
Atsees: Eight annas, or 50 paise. Likewise, dosees, charsees
Upcountry: People in railway colonies like Kharagpur or Chakradharpur
Chutney Mary: A woman dressed gaudily to look elite
Molly with the Dolly: Comes from ‘mali with the dali’, the dali being a Christmas hamper the mali would carry in
Sunday is longer than Monday: The edge of the petticoat showing from under the dress or skirt
Wallflower: A girl without a partner at a date
Chhakka: A pansy man
Papa, Nana: Grandfather, grand mother
‘Girl’, ‘boy’ after a name: An affectionate way of addressing the young, like Buddi girl or Budda boy. Also Son-a-boy
Bra: Short for brother, like the modern ‘bro’
Bum-freezer: A coat that ends at the hips
Missibaba: The domestic staff would address the young daughter of the house thus
Babalog: Used by the staff to refer to the boys
Chhota Hazri: A light early-morning snack
Dekchi: A large utensil. Even Anglo-Indians who migrated to Canada or Australia in the ’40s call a dekchi a dekchi.
Hawaii chappals for bathroom slippers
Chokra boy: A small, dirty fellow
Gunda: Affectionate term for a naughty fellow
Pataka: Attractive woman, but someone not quite simple
Mama-ko-pucho: Mama’s boy
Ting-tong wala: Door-to-door vendor
Suit-Boot-and-Gramophone / togged up: Suddenly very dressed up
On tick: To buy on credit
Phutani: Putting on airs
Going to the guava gardens or turning your toes up to the daisies: To die
Toe Jam: Smelly toes
B O: Body odour
Gob gas: Bad breath
Bending the elbow: Having a drink
Run-away Jack: Indian-style toilet
YOU'RE SURELY AN ANGLO :
if you say : "U bugger I've bin waitin here a bloody hour and u comin now oni aaah ..."
In the morning, you got up and said, "Ma, i want to make kakaa. or "Ma, see this bugger Ma,
he's not letting me sleep"
u act TOO BIG FOR UR BOOTS, ur father says "Small Bugger can't piss straight, he came
off to tell me, I'll warm ur bloody ears for u now. "
If you've heard these words "good for (pronounced "fa") nothing!" or "useless!"
if you've acted the goat.
if you've played the fool. .
if you've answered "I play the radio" when asked what instrument you play.
when you say "she's possessed with the evil spirit, because our neighbour put the
MANJA BALL on her".
you and your father have the same shirt and pant material and ur mother and sister
have the same dress material for c'mas, easter or new year
You know all the words to "Surangani" and "I married a female wrestler". Anyone remember
that old anglo saying, "Chase the bug around the tree"?? .... .now say it over and over again
as fast as you can.
if you've had "Horse's ????? and fried brinjals" for lunch
and Coconut (read coc'nit) rice ball curry with ???????? burning chutney
If you have studied in any of these schools
Saint Marys, Saint Patricks, Saint Josephs, Saint Bedes
Saint Theresa's, Saint Muniamma, Saint Ayyamma
Saint Pushpa, Saint Slippermesilly
Yes nanna..i know im going to hell!
if you know exactly what species of ants "bully ants" is.
if you know that China man "Hoo Flung Dung"
if your nick name as a kid (or even now...) was either "boxer", "bandu boy"
If, on you birthday your mum let you choose your favourite meal, and you selected bow-bow curry.
If you had an Ayah named Muniamma
.If your friend had too much of (ponds talcum ?) powder on his face and you asked him if he had
a fight with the baker. Or at least called him powder monkey!
if you use "fizzog" instead of "face".
If you can say "Remy Remy rollocks, thousand in my ???????? fast.
If your enrolled in the Anglo Indian associate but faithfully fail to pay your subscription...come
back next month uncle!
if u said u're a cork eye #$X***@ !!
YOU ARE DEFINITELY AN ANGLO if......
You say we are White Washing the house for Christmas!!!!!!... White Washing???
You say "Don’t get a Kottu from me!!!!!!!"
You say DONO (Don't Know)
You have pepperwater, rice and pepper fry for lunch on Saturdays
Of all the dances in the world, you know what "Tiger dance" is!
You ate "kanjee water & rice" when times were hard!
You think the hottest Anglo tailor is 'Gani' and he left you waiting and hoping
on Christmas Eve!
You played "Miss Mary Mac", "Ice-cream soda" and "who stole the cookie from the
cookie pot" during school breaks (ring a bell, Doveton girls??)
On Christmas you wore a 'coat & skirt' made from 'Garden silk' and patent
leather 'coat shoes'!
You went to an Anglo dance, and if your band, when testing the sound system,
spent 30 minutes of 1-2, mike testing, 1-2, mike testing, 1-2, mike testing, 1-2.
You got the "FIJACKS" atleast once in your life. (got the frights/were moody)
All the underwear in your family are called "Jocks", "Jungies" and "Flyingfoxes”.
You walk into a dance with a quarter bottle bulging in your suit pocket.
You know exactly what species of ants "bully ants" is.
You ran into one of the stalwarts of main road and they went "what macha - long
time no see" or "Cousin got any change da, never ate from morning macha" you
give them something and they are off...full swing, smile on their
face to the grog shop.
You've sung "Ging gang gooly..." at Sunday school or wherever!
Your Sunday was longer than your Monday.
Kalang Kol was a sport.
You knew Mad Nora from Perambur
You know Sampath from Foxen Street
You use the phrase How mad nah!!! and if u use "blimming and blinking" in every
other sentence (still don’t know what they mean - as swear words)
You use the phrase "thatny" - for that only
You respond with a "Namind (never mind)Child"
You walked in late to church and walked out early after communion.
At Anglo weddings, nana says to pass more wedding cake so she can put some in
her bag to take home.
You played Ringa Ringa Roses, Ringing the duck, Dog Shots, Musical chairs, n
sung Hotel California more than a dozen times.
You are convinced that everyone else in India is a bloody pye dog , Pariah
Bugger or Wog.
You ever u buy meat u ask the meat man for free Jow and Bones along with the
meat.saying its for the dog.
You have witnessed the following - Aunty Dolly is laid out and between prayers
Uncle Willie wails "How you can leave and go without telling one word chile".
You and 10 other friends pooled in about 3 rupees each to buy a quarter bottle
of booze
You're working in a call center even though you haven’t finished your 10th std.
Your Aunties and Uncles get REALLY offended if you don't greet them with a
'Mornin', 'G'Afnoon', or 'D'Evenin'
You refer to every guy as "bugger" in a conversation.
You and your family go to Mass with everyone wearing the same material, Father
and Son have the same material shirt, mom and sis have the same material skirts, and when you go back home the same material is used for your curtains and the sofa covers.
You didn't own a tie and a suit but still wore one at the Christmas dance...
Your mama prays to all the saints and every single version of Mother Mary ever known to human kind...
More signs that you're probably an Anglo Indian :
...Your aunty Audrey "came down from Melbourne, (where else?)"
....Rudy and Janet won the Best Jivers at the KGF dance
... Your Nana bought coys (frute and vejtible) from the bandy man.
...Grampa Ernie was a steam loco driver
... You asked the butcher to "give off one two rupees dog bones and some jow for your pussy"
... You poured off a wet by ha-pas six.
... Your childhood staple was the pish-pash Nana used to make.
... Sundel and boiled jigs were a favorite evening snack
... Cousins Christopher, Christine, Desmond and Duke were lovingly referred to as Kittu-boy, Tina-girl, Dezzie, and Jukie-boy
... You love egg-hoppers for Sunday breakfast
... You have bought Bangalore pork sausages to take home to Madras, at least a few times
... Your Nana sincerely prayed for you once you decided to marry that "Indian boy"
... You wore jeans with a checked shirt and a "cowboy" hat on Ethnic Day at school/college
... You probably always wore socks inside your sandals
... At least one of the dogs your family owned was called "Pixie"
... Papa and Nana call chicken "fowl", but uses "Bobo" when you were a kid
...All your childhood meals were called chochee
...Sandra won the May Queen and Jackie won the June Rose ball princess titles
...Our extended family was settled in Georgetown, Guntakal, Kaunpore, Barrackpore, Simla and Vizack.
... the family annual pilgrimage was always to Negbittam (Nagapatinam near Velankanni)
...Other than your hometown, the other countries you knew were UK, Ghana, London, Saudi, Canada and Melbourne.
... People of different skin types were called either "fair things" or "black buggers"
.... Uncle Keithie made lot of money on the rigs
... You only work first shift, second shift, or night shift.
... You must have your doll-curry and rice with little lime pickle and beans foogard
... The typical answer to the question "wot'chall had for lunch" would be "horse's balls and fried bringals", or "Duck and doll and bugger-all". For tea, "shit and sugar"
...The word "number" usually meant 'song' or referred to an attractive girl.
.... You too once owned a pair of "gold-tip" Cuban-heeled boots you got from the Gulf.
... Your "Country & Western" cassette collection included Merle Haggard, Hank Locklan, Kenny Rogers and Glen Campbell. Of course you also had Charlie Pride, Elvis, Jim Reeves and Shakin Stevens.