FAQ on Mumbaiya Language Slangs

A great thing about this language is that it's spoken universally through the whole of Bombay. However for Uppities or the college crowd its referred to as Binglish (for Bombay_English). It's, however, the same ! This list is perpetually incomplete since the evolution of this language can never possibly cease.

An FAQ about Bhindi / Binglish: Pronunciations are in brackets following the words.

Chava / Chavi - Actual meaning of a chava is a lion's cub.However, in Bhindi it would mean a Boyfriend/GirlFriend (normally the one that's steady). Chava, is also used to describe to a good looking chap or the normal stud in the locality. No, Chavi would still mean the steady one.

Chikna - Stands for any good looking fellow. Chikna actually means smooth. Chikni is the female version of the same word.

Dhapnya / Battery / double battery - Refers to a person wearing prescription glasses. Dhapnya is a marathi word. The Ghati way of saying this would be "bya-tree".

Chaayla ! - The original meaning is quiet demeaning. The contemporary meaning is so flexible that "Chaayla" can be used anywhere in a casual conversation. Pragmatically speaking this word doesnt have any meaning.

Haila ! - This originated from "Hai Allah !" but I don't think 99% of the users know about this. Haila would translate to "Oh God!"

Keeda / SulemaniKeeda - An absolute pest.

Jhakaas - Superb. Excellent.

Mandvali / Mandavli - Compromise.

Gangaram - For a barber. Gangaram is a guy's name. I guess some Gangaram must have played an immortal role in some play or movie for his name to stick on.

Chagan / Dhating / Hajaam - Hajaam in its true sense would mean a barber. It refers to anyone with a moronic intellect. I think the meaning of the word "Chagan" better be left unsaid.

Atrangi - One meaning of this word is similar to Hajaam. Atrangi also mean something extraordinary.

ChappanTikkli / Punter / Tapori / Shana - Roadside loafer. Tapori is among the most commonly used words in Bhindi.

Charsi / Fookda / Soootya - A smoker. Charas is exactly marijuana. Charasi would mean any guy who smokes though.

Raanti / Saand - A boisterous or an exceeding brash guy.

Bevada / Gutter / Taankee / Batli / JohnnyWalker - A Drunk. JohnnyWalker comes from either the actor by the name or the whiskey brand.

Rappak ( stress on "pp" ) - means Slap. ( eg. Kaan kay neechay rappak lagaoonga. )

Tapri - A road side shop.

Chotay - For any kid working in a Tapri. If the shop has more than one kid ... all would have to be Chotays.

Ramu - see "chotay"

Mava / (120 - 300) EkSauBees-TeenSau - This is a type of paan that you get here. 120 and 300 are the flavors of tabacco. Mava is everything that paan has without the betel-leaf. Terms also refer to the person who consumes it.

Manikchand - Manikchand is a famous brand of chewing tabacco. This term also stands for a person who consumes it.

Dhoop Chaav - Means Sun and Shade. Refers to the shops owned by the road side barbers who just have a rag for the Chaav and is obviously hole-ridden to let the Dhoop come in.

Chinese Gaadi - No ! this is not a Chinese make of an automobile!! Its the "Tapri" selling chinese food on the side of the road. You find one after every 10 meters. The best part is that all these Chinese Gaadis are red in color, have names like "Red Sun", "Red Dragon", "Fong's", or anything that sounds vaguely Chinese. The cook is normally a Nepali gurkha working as a night watchman in some nearby apartment complex. The only criteria to get a chef's job at a Chinese Gaadi is to have slanted eyes.

Mahim - Matunga / Vasai - Virar - This is a term used for squints. M-M and V-V are neighbouring localities in Bombay. The origin of this term is unknown.

Ghungroo Salmaan - This term is very new but catching on fast. Ghungroo refers to a curly haired guy. Salmaan (Khan) comes in the picture since the "Ghunroo Salmaan" fellow is obviously mistaking himself to be a Hindi film hero. It's used as a put-down.

Cutting - A little_more_than_half cup of Tea is a cutting. The Cutting concept would have been started by people who used to split a cup of tea between 2 people... and finally the tea vendor started selling half cup of tea and called it "cutting". A little_more_than_half is given to increase the patrons.

AndhaDhuni / Aadva-Patta - These are a cricketing terms. AadvaPatta comes from Pune, means "Cross batted shot". AndhaDhuni means "Blind shot". But nowadays these refer to any guy who doesn't bat well.

Mama / Maushi - Mama and Maushi translate to the maternal uncle and aunt. These words are thoroughly misused to get some work done. Normally used while speaking Marathi. Every other Marathi speaking street vendor would be a Mama or a Maushi.

Dada / Tai - Translate to elder brother or sister. Usage - see Mama / Maushi.

Uncle / Aunty - Usage similar to Mama/Maushi... just that this is used for the more sophisticated public. Normally with the Marathi ignorant.

Ghaati - Ghaatis are the residents of the hilly/rural regions of Maharashtra. In Bhindi, a Ghati would mean any person whose mother tongue is Marathi. It's quiet demeaning..... and thus heard more frequently.

Gujju / Ganda-Gujratis. The money men of Mumbai. These guys are easily spotted on the road - either in colorful shirts, embroidered trousers, against the mirror of a parked vehicle combing their hair, or something equally funny. These guys are the second largest community in Bombay after the Marathi-speaking people. Ganda acutally means mad. No need to explain why.

Madrasi - Madras is a place in the southern part of India. Madrasi refers to any guy from a place to the south of Maharashtra. Doesn't matter where he is from. If he is from Bangalore he is a Madrasi. If he is from Goa he is still a Madrasi. Doesn't matter. And the best part of being a Madrasi is that you are supposed to eat idli sambar for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. And rasam-chaval is supposed to be the favourite dish.

Gulti - This is a fairly new term. Used for people from Andhra Pradesh. I don't have a clue about its origin or actual meaning.
According to a site visitor "well ... it is telugu ... say it Ulta .. anagram ... and u get gulti"


Bhaiya / Pandit - Any guy from UP / Bihar / MP / Delhi / Northern states is called a Bhaiya. Pandit is also used interchangeably but is mostly used for the guys at the Lassi/Doodh shops or for Panwallas.

Paapay / Papajee - A Sikh. Dont know what a paapay means. I am sure its not insulting or anything.

Bawa / Pestonjee - The Parsees. The most harmless. Jovial and great company. Definitely the most teased people on the Hindi silver screen. Every movie has to have at least one funny character called "Rustom" or "Pestonjee" who has to have a fat and an overtly boisterious wife. Incidently Parsees also are the most affluent and among the richest in the Indian community. Bombay is also called "ParseeSthan" since this is the place where you find most of them.

Cheena / Chapata / Nepali / Shaab-babu ( 'sh' as in 'huSH' )- Any slant-eyed guy is called Cheena or Nepali. Doesn't matter if he is from Kerala and some genetic disorder messed up his eye. He would still be a Nepali. The best part is many of the north eastern states and even West Bengal have people with slant eyes. However, if they happen to land in Bombay, they would be from Nepal. The Chinese/Japs/Koreans all fall in the same category. Shaab-babu comes from the fact that these Nepali gurkhas call every other person they see "Shaab-babu". I wouldn't be too surprised to find out that they call their parents that too.

Sai ( Saa-eeen - the second part is increasingly nasal ) - The Sindhis. The Partition-time migrants from Pakistan. If a Hindi movie doesn't have a Parsee... a Sindhi has to come at some point to lighten the spirits. These guys are known for all the Papads they consume.

Mia-bhai - The members of the Islamic faith.

Bong / Bonglababu / Babumoshai ( pronunciation should have maximum sounds of "O" as possible ) - for any Bangla.

Bambaiyya - Anything that relates to anything that even vaugely relates to Bombay. Bambaiyaa is something that every resident of Bombay would love to be called !

All toothpaste are called Colgate
All Tofee are called Choclate
All Choclates are called Cadbury


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