SUNAAD RAGHURAM and SRINIVAS N.G. write: As with any City, Mysore has its own patois. A set of words and phrases unique to the City and its residents. But with hundreds now flocking to Mysore, churumuri presents a short dictionary of words that they better get used to. Or else.
A for Apase (as in cheat, to be read like you read apace), Ambak (as in cheating), All Round Master (as in man with many vices)
B for Bombaat, Baby (as in an arrack sachet), Biskath (as in promising the moon), body (as in brassiere), Britis (as in someone who speaks excessive English), Boosa (as in someone who hogs a lot)
C for Chindi, Chitranna, Chuchapu (as in switch off, finished)
D for Dongi, Dabba, Dovvu (as in lover), Drink Master (as in alcoholic), Dose (as in medicinal dose denoting fear), Dubak (as in fake), Dagaar (as in prostitute)
E for Escape, Enka (as in foolish person)
F for Fitting (as in putting a spoke in the wheel), Finisu (as in murdering)
G for Gaandu (as in cowardly person), Ghuushlu, Gamaad (both as in brainless person), gundu (as in drinking)
H for Harka (as in boastful person), Headda (as in stupid), Hyapa (as in nincompoop), Half Murder (as in injuring someone grievously)
I for Ilu (as in mentally abnormal and not I love you!)
J for Japaala (as in surreptitiously administering a laxative!), Japaanu (as in petting a girl!)
K for Korma, Khadeema, Keppa, Kyate, Kindal, Kuule (as in creating noisy scenes), Kireeku, Kantri
L for Lodde, Laang (as in a sword)
M for Manja, Matash, Maal (as in attractive girl), Meetru (as in trying to be one up on someone), Mindri (as in unscrupulous person)
N for Navarangi (as in showman)
O for Othla (as in worthless person), Olu (as in blatant exaggeration)
P for Pauper Cheeti, Pukla, Pataar (as in the sound of a slap!), Paalty (as in party)
Q for Quarter Master (as in alcoholic)
R for Rackpot (as in creating a ruckus), Rayya (as in urging the bus or lorry driver to move)
S for Sakath, Scheme, Sketch, Spot out (as in dying on the spot in an accident), Set Up (as in having a mistress), Self-suicide, Steel body, Sisya (as in underling)
T for Tirke (as in vagabond), Tarle, Ticket (as in someone dying), TK (as in arrogance!), Tagadu, Thangal, Tight (as in drunk)
U for Udiis
V for Vasi (as in small)
W for Waste body (as in useless person), Woost (as in goner)
X for Xinkilika (as in exultation!)
Y for Yelsu (as in immature), Yenda (as in drink), Yandalli (as in simpleton), Yeth Angadi (as in evicting someone)
Z for Zabardast (as in full blooded)
**
Have more words to contribute? More stunning phrases and sentences heard Only in Mysore? Drop a comment. Help your brethren and cistern.
Krishna,
How could I forget Kitchaisu and Kicking Clear (as in safe) for K and
Wrongu (as in En Guru, ‘wrong’ madtavne avanu!) for W !
May the world’s vocabulary benefit!
thikla or thikal: Crazy
Picture thorisu: same as Biskath
thames hodi: english nalli kochko
LKB: Lord Krishna Bhagawan or LkB!?
NTNM: Nin t* naayi mari
KBM: KaLLa Badi Magane
.
.
.
anna, "piece" yelli?
‘Reel’ as in ‘Bari reel bidtha avne’. – Exaggerating some event or making up a story.
Ustaadu – expert at something ( usually infamous). Like in ‘Avanu ispit aadodralli ustaad kano’.
Bejaan – countless. Should’nt this also be part of this lexicon?
How about Osi (OC?) as in Osi hoditha avane.
Here are a few other big ones :
aDAl – essentially waste fellow
Dumki – fail
level – a guy with a lot of ego
solid – a lot, definite
KMCH – kivi mEle cheMDu hoovu
KMCF – kivi mEle cauliflower
AJM – Just miss, never mind the ‘A’ :)
I have not laughed like this for a long time. I dont get to speak much Kannada and definitely cant speak slang with parents. But I remember school days and NCC days when these words were such part of me. Gosh this site is so refreshing and makes more homesick and nostalgic. One more addition
Thonde pinga- scrony guy
Narapethlu Naarayana- same as above
A serious disservice has been done by M/s Sunaad Raghuram and Srinivas N.G. to the advancement of Kannada by ignoring such seminal words as “plate” (as in, aa nanna magandu ade plate bido) and “handle” (as in, handle hodade guru). As Hiremagalur Kannan puts it so very well, Sirigannadum Gully Gully Ge.
Medhlige Kai haakthane
Brain ge spoon haakthane
Suryange Torch Thoristhya
Chappar nanna Maga
KNHSM ( Kantri..naayi handhi Soole Magane )
T much Kondu hogo
Right helakke yen Thogothya??
Kalchkothya??
Yenana beka karchge??
Pyaadhe nanna magane
Olle Gampru kaNo
Speaking of Hiremagalur Kannan, the guy writes quite well. His story a couple of weeks back in Vijaya Karnataka on a sanyasi who was a huge fan of Kumaravyasa was excellent. Actually, Vijaya Karnataka has managed to put together a pretty decent list of columnists. Kannan, Dundiraj’s maatu-ka(vi)te, CR Simha all make for good reading.
railu -as in, railu biDtAne avanu
reelu – as in, reelu biDu
And yes, Hiremagalur Kannan is a good writer. I have read some of his writings and have liked them.
had a tough time speaking kanada when i shifted to bangalore… guys could not understand, when i said “bade tadey”
Inspite of the serious research that went into the listing of words, we the authors have missed out on some for the great dictionary.
Scope. As in assuming too much importance to self.
‘En Shiva, sakath scope togo tavne nan maga!’.
Sunaad , neevu yee webite nalli ‘BEJAAN’ scope thogotheera
Quite a good number of responses that have poured in about the typical words, phrases and slangs of Mysore really made me nostalgic and a journey down the memory lane took me back to the late 1960s when I was staying in Manasagangotri, Mysore doing my M.A. in Political Science. Thanks to all the above contributors for bringing back the fine memories of the pleasant city of Mysore.
The entreaties of the fruit-selling women on the foot-paths of Sayaji Rao road near K.R. Market still linger in my ears:
“Takanni buddi takanni, burburne hontoythiralla! Balli (for banni) hannu takanni” which roughly means: “Take sir take, going past so speedily! Come, take the fruits”
My translation, if wrong, is subject to correction by any of the gentle Mysoreans. Your comments please.
Eh, sumkiri prakasu, nimdenu iga ‘kireeku’!
I have also heard ‘off’ being used instead of ‘udiis’ and sometimes to mean ‘sumneyiri’ as in ‘off maadi saar’.
To claim that all these are unique or Mysore’ own is plain ridiculous and an exaggeration. These colloquial slangs are spoken everywhere outside of Mysore. Common guys, be practical – lets not claim every good thing as ours and every bad things as not ours!!
Neenu oLLe ‘PRAJAE’ ….adheno sari yellakade upsyogso baashe ne idhu.
SUNAAD yaakri ‘BRAIN’ge Spoon haatheera
Apparently, the word ‘blade’ is missing the patois….
Yen sir, ‘blade’ haki hakki saisthane…..
Amazing! how can u forget ‘harkolodu’……
jaasthi harkobeda…..!
Sakath collection swami…namma Nanjangudu matthe Chamarajanagarada basheli yenadru idre barriri swalpaa…
dhooLu ebbsodu…as in mindless crowd dancing near the speakers in Jayciana…LOL
amele…SINK agodu…as in ‘escape’ agodu
maTa:: lo magane nan system maTa hattkontu kaNo ley!! maTa means somthing which gets spoiled.
from a week i am repeatedly using this word bcos my system is not workin well.
ulti-kuDi kaNo: kuDi is punjabi word for girl.. and our boys are using it very well.
sisyaaaa.. magane… macha… lo bOLi, thirke, munDede all are good “sambodhane” words.
ZAKHAAAS — means superb.
yaaappa is a good word.
K for Koole (fun)
G for Gubaal (useless)
M for MoLe party (talkative)
J for Jing (sex)
S for Shed
S for Sinkaagu (escape)
N for Naayi biskit
G for Gummesha (biskit party)
D for Devru (expert)
am i the only one missing “shape out” here?…
You are also missing “Badathadhe” – a popular term for expressing endearment or sometimes sympathy for a loser, very common in the 70s.
And you are missing the world famous term “Moodhevi”- meaning useless foolish bumpkin.
Good compilation. But is this only Mysore slang? Not really. Many of the terms are in vogue in Bengalooru also.
Somehow when we talk about Kannada & Karnataka, we limit it to Old Mysore area only. As if the rest of the State doesn’t matter. One would like to know about the slang in use in north Karnataka & Karavali. As also other things.
Interesting! Like no gravitas points out, we from Bengalooru use it too:) There’s also deelu, kurpu, guraisu, scopu, suryange torchu, pada xeroxu…
Amidst all the additions I do not see “Botty Nikal”, “Uttake Dikhtai” and “Nazarbad” ( for Silky Zhiny Muslin fabric cloth)
J- JingChak (BF)
J- Jatre, Jolla (Jol Sursavnu)
M – Michine bidadu.
K – Kwatle
S -Self (Self Fucked)
Laughing on mute, sitting here in my office. It’s as funny hearing them in my head as it is to speak it out.
#GoodLaugh