We all may opinionate Mumbai for the marine drive, the cutting chai, the vada pavs but Mumbai has a side to it that is defined through slangs, cuss words and the typical Bambaiya language used by taporis or otherwise. Thanks to Bollywood and champions like Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff, everybody’s had a taste of Mumbaiyya Hindi, which has been borrowed heavily from the city’s melting pot of languages and cultures – so much so that it’s no longer the preserve of just the ‘bhai log’. Just like most urban lingo, Mumbai tapori is all about cut to cut baat karne ka which means to speak precisely, Boss or mamu which is the equivalent of dude and item or jhakaas item that is code for ‘hot chick’.
Bindiya Chotrani delves deeper and gives you an insight into this disdained side of Mumbai.
Babaji ka ghanta
Balls! From a nude babaji (holy man)’s gently swaying junk, often shortened to just ghanta, meaning zippo. Literally, babaji means grandfather or a way of addressing old men with respect; also used to signify saints or opium/cannabis smokers among saints, somewhat like hippies. Meanwhile ghanta – literally, a big metal bell with a clapper inside that makes a high-pitched noise when rung – has a slang meaning these days, which is penis. Thereby, babaji’s penis, which apparently just hangs, doing nothing, like a ghanta, and hence the name.
Chaayla
The original meaning is quiet demeaning. The contemporary meaning is so flexible that “Chaayla” can be used anywhere in a casual conversation. Agmatically speaking this word doesn’t have any meaning.
Aaicha gho
Sounding like an insult but literally meaning Mother’s Husband in Marathi, Aai cha gho is used as an exclamation or friendly and lightweight abuse. The term may also be used instead of fuck or in response to an insult and is commonly muttered under the breath on a hot day after being elbowed in the ribs in the second-class compartment of the local.
Kalti maarna
This one meaning ‘To slyly escape or ditch someone’ also has a variation ‘kaltis’, used by youngsters meaning to say, “let’s go”.
Alibag se aaya hain kya
The word originated at a time when people in the region were not street-smart and shrewd enough and were easily fooled by the others. Hence, when a person was easily fooled by others phrase, the phrase alibaug se aaya hain kya was used, thereby coming into existence and stayed for good.
Kharcha-paani
Literally it means “stipend, pocket-money, bribe or (small) payment”, in Mumbai it may also refer to beating up somebody. And, therefore, depending on context, ‘kharcha-paani doon kya?’ may mean “Do you want me/us to beat you up?” instead of “Do you want me/us to give you some money?” Conversely, a person asking for a bribe (or one belonging to the lowest strata when asking for some money) will say, “thoda kharcha-paani do” (Give me some money).
Le lena
Literally meaning ‘to take’, the slang means ‘to make fun of someone’. Initially expressed explicitly as “Main teri G***d le loonga ( I will take your arse)”, it meant sodomizing a person by taking his arse in control by grabbing it with both hands. Subsequently, the expletive got dropped and got silent. The reason for drop was to openly use the phrase without restraint and explicit expression. It conveys the meaning to those who understand it and keeps the deeper intent hidden.
Fat gayi
While Fat gayi may literally mean, torn apart, the word also metaphorically means to get screwed, rather be deep in trouble. Once again, this phrase consists of an explitive more which is more often than dropped out.
Pakaa mat be yaar
While the phrase literally means, ‘do not cook’, the desi slang connotes it as ‘do not irritate or bore us’. Unlike the other slangs, this one is more sophisticated and is used by youngsters explicitly
So go on bhidu, use these and more! Let people know that ‘apun log alibaug se nai aayla hain‘! Tell us about reactions, your personal favourites and add onto our list.